Cleaver's Statement on House Judiciary Committee Introducing Articles of Impeachment

Statement

United States Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement after the House Judiciary Committee announced the introduction of articles of impeachment against the President of the United States.

Today is a profoundly sad day for our nation. My heart is heavy, as we enter only the fourth time in our country's history that the House of Representatives has been forced to introduce articles of impeachment against a sitting President. While no member of Congress comes to Washington to remove a President from power, we all swear an oath to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States. In recent months, the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees have presented a case with overwhelming evidence exposing significant presidential misconduct. The case presented alleges that the President abused the power of his office and undermined American national security by withholding congressionally-approved military aid in an effort to coerce a vulnerable foreign government into smearing a domestic political rival before the 2020 elections. This is a grave perversion of presidential power and antithetical to America's founding ideals based on fair elections free from foreign interference.

I was extremely reluctant to agree to support an impeachment inquiry into the President. It was, and still is, a discomforting decision. But, as is the case in all of life, the most painful thing is ofttimes the most principled thing. After reviewing witness testimony, the call summary, and public statements from the President and his Chief of Staff, I am left with no other choice but to support the articles of impeachment introduced in the House. The evidence presented is unquestionably sufficient for a trial in the Senate. Should the articles of impeachment be sent to the Senate, I'm hopeful that every American will pay close attention to what is being presented and ask themselves whether or not this is the way we want our democracy to function moving forward. In this pivotal moment, I am thinking about my grandchildren and the country I want to leave for them. Future generations will look back on this time as a defining moment in American democracy. I intend to be on the right side of history.

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