Statement by congressman Dan Kildee on moving forward with Articles of Impeachment against president Donald J. Trump

Statement

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05), Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus, issued the following statement after the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that the U.S. House of Representatives will move forward with articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump:

"This is a serious and solemn moment in our nation's history. Moving forward on impeachment against the President of the United States should always be a tool of last resort to defend our Constitution. Sadly, this is the moment we now find ourselves in.

"After reviewing the Intelligence Committee report and watching the testimony of witnesses in the impeachment inquiry, I support the relevant committees moving forward with drafting articles of impeachment. When articles are presented to Members of Congress and the American people, I will closely review them, alongside the facts, before ultimately casting my vote.

"The facts presented to the American people are clear: The President of the United States, by his own admission, used his office to pressure a foreign government into investigating a political opponent. In doing so, the President endangered our national security by withholding critical military assistance for his own personal gain. Senior White House officials, career foreign service officers and national security officials have all presented evidence of the President's abuse of power.

"As a Member of Congress, I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. I take my oath--to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic--very seriously. That is why I believe the House must take these necessary steps in order to hold the President accountable for his abuse of power and betrayal of his own oath of office."

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