Last week, the House Judiciary Committee passed both articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump — one for abuse of power and one for obstruction of Congress.
The full House is expected to vote on the articles this week, and yesterday, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), called for four senior officials to testify in the expected Senate trial, and suggested pre-trial proceedings take place on January 6, 2020.
“In a short time, the House of Representatives is expected to approve Articles of Impeachment against President Donald J. Trump. In response to the House’s action, as you have noted, our rules require the Senate to conduct a trial to consider and vote on the Articles of Impeachment. This is an enormously weighty and solemn responsibility that was assigned to the Senate by the Framers of the Constitution,” Schumer wrote to McConnell.
“Senate Democrats believe strongly, and I trust Senate Republicans agree, that this trial must be one that is fair, that considers all of the relevant facts, and that exercises the Senate’s “sole Power of Impeachment” under the Constitution with integrity and dignity. The trial must be one that not only hears all of the evidence and adjudicates the case fairly; it must also pass the fairness test with the American people. That is the great challenge for the Senate in the coming weeks,” he added.
U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Brooklyn, Manhattan), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after the committee voted to send two articles of impeachment against President Trump to the full House.
“Overwhelming evidence shows that President Donald Trump put his own interest, his personal political needs and selfish wants, before the country he swore an oath to defend. President Trump risked our national security, jeopardized the fairness and honesty of our next election, and worked to conceal the truth from Congress in violation of his responsibility to the American people. Today is a sad and somber day for the nation. Yet we must meet the challenge posed by a President who puts himself before the country, whose actions pose a direct threat to the integrity of our elections, and to the separation of powers that safeguard our liberty.”
U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Kensington, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Midwood, Sheepshead Bay, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach and Prospect Lefferts Gardens) spokesperson Sarah Sinovic said after the committee voted on the articles of impeachment, that the Judiciary Committee outcome moves America one step closer to holding Donald J. Trump’s feet to the fire for the inexcusable and impeachable actions he’s taken at the expense of the American people. “And while today is a sad and somber day for America, it is a critical day in bringing us closer to when Rep. Clarke will cast her long-awaited, dutiful vote on the House floor to impeach Donald Trump,” she said.
U.S. Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, Queens) also supports the impeachment. She said, “The President of the United States attempted to bribe another foreign entity to interfere in U.S. elections on his behalf. He then proceeded to obstruct Congress’ constitutionally mandated efforts to uncover the truth. He left Congress no choice but to pursue these articles of impeachment.”
U.S. Rep. Max Rose (D-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) said, “Party and politics will never come before the country I bled to protect—and would unquestionably do so again. A President coercing a foreign government into targeting American citizens is not just another example of scorched earth politics, it serves as an invitation to the enemies of the United States to come after any citizen, so long as they disagree with the President. Embarking on an unprecedented effort to obstruct this inquiry doesn’t make the facts any less true. Therefore I will vote in support of the two Articles of Impeachment.”
Rose added, “Whether the Senate votes to remove the President or not, I will continue to focus on getting results for the people of Staten Island and South Brooklyn.”
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-South Brooklyn, Staten Island), who is running for Rose’s Congressional seat next year, challenged Rose’s statement in support of impeachment.
“Today, Max Rose declared, once and for all, that he will vote for impeachment along with Nancy Pelosi, Jerry Nadler, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Ilhan Omar and the rest. His words send a clear message to the voters of Staten Island and southern Brooklyn and, next November, we’ll send a clear message back by voting for President Trump and sending Max Rose packing,” said Malliotakis.
