Washington, DC — Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) released the following statement today following the vote on H.Res. 660, a resolution establishing procedures for the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump:
“President Trump’s repeated statements that he invites illegal, foreign interference in our elections and his repeated current attempts to obstruct Congress’ oversight authority, cannot go unanswered. The evidence outlined in the publicly released portions of the Mueller report include 10 instances in which President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice, including urging individuals to lie and to manufacture false evidence. The Mueller report also outlines evidence of egregious encouragement for a foreign adversary to undermine our democracy. Further, the President’s clear intent to continue to invite interference in the upcoming election creates an urgency of action.
“President Trump’s most recent actions to bribe a foreign government in exchange for his own political gain, using taxpayer dollars appropriated by law to protect our nation’s national security, demonstrates Donald Trump’s profound and continuing contempt for the rule of law.
“I do not take the impeachment of a President lightly, and I do not believe the position the President has put us in, with his own willful acts, is good for the country. However, Congress cannot ignore the President strong-arming foreign governments to interfere in our elections, which violates our Constitution and the President’s oath of office.
“This is a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, and we must take impeachment as seriously as the President’s actions require. Under the Constitution, Congress was given not only the right, but the obligation, to consider impeachment should the facts warrant it, as a foundational cornerstone of this great democratic experiment. Congress must exercise our duty and uphold our oath.”
Issues: 116th Congress