OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for High Crimes and Misdemeanors

Floor Speech

Date: Jan. 13, 2021
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Executive Branch

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Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, America is at a crossroads. As the violent riots at the Capitol last week so painfully and shockingly reminded us, the unhinged partisan rhetoric that too often consumes the political dialogue in this country has become toxic and is tearing us apart. If we continue down this path, there is no telling how much damage to our Union there may be.

Sadly, that is what is happening here today. The majority is rushing through yet a second impeachment of President Trump, who has but 7 days remaining in office. As prominent constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley has cautioned: Today a dangerous precedent is being set that could lead to the normalization of snap impeachments without any hearings or any meaningful discussion or debate.

The majority is ramming through this House the most potent tool at our disposal without a single hearing, turning a process that usually takes months into a few short hours.

We haven't heard testimony from a single witness. We haven't heard from any experts on the nature of these charges, nor the damage this effort could inflict on our Republic. We didn't know even how this debate would unfold until 9 a.m. this morning.

This is truly an unprecedented situation and one which could cause irrevocable harm to our Nation.

Madam Speaker, it doesn't have to be this way. We don't have to continue down this misguided path. We could instead follow the wisdom provided by none other than Abraham Lincoln during another divisive time in our Nation's history and listen to the better angels of our nature. We could choose a more positive, constructive path and vote down this ill-conceived effort.

We should tone down the political rhetoric. We should work together to solve the problems that face our Nation. We should put aside our differences and find common ground.

We should bring Americans back together because there is no crisis we can't overcome if we stand united.

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