WASHINGTON – The U.S. House voted to impeach President Donald Trump on Wednesday for his role in inciting the attack on the Capitol last week.
A handful of Republicans voted in favor of impeaching Trump, including Michigan Congressmen Fred Upton and Peter Meijer. All of Michigan’s Democratic lawmakers voted in favor of impeachment.
Trump is the only president to be impeached twice.
READ : House votes to impeach President Trump for violent Capitol insurrection
Statements from lawmakers are available below: Sen. Gary Peters released the following statement:
Donald Trump violated his oath of office. His reprehensible actions and rhetoric incited a violent, deadly attack on the Capitol and on our democracy. It is outrageous and unacceptable. We must hold him accountable for his actions and send a very clear signal for the future that this dangerous behavior can never be tolerated.
Donald Trump is a danger to our country, unfit to be President, and – as I have said – he must be removed from office immediately. I’m disappointed Vice President Pence has indicated he will not be invoking the 25th Amendment, and I support the House taking the necessary step to impeach Mr. Trump. Donald Trump committed an impeachable offense, there must be severe consequences and he should never be eligible to hold federal office again.
Importantly, we also cannot let these dangerous events deter us from the urgent priorities that Congress must address. We must take additional action to get this raging pandemic under control and provide more relief for struggling Michiganders and additional resources for continued distribution of vaccines. We must also ensure that President-elect Biden’s Administration can hit the ground running through confirmation hearings and votes on his Cabinet and other key roles. As incoming Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, it is now more critical than ever that the Department of Homeland Security have stable leadership to address the urgent and unprecedented threats our nation currently faces.
Sen. Gary Peters Congressman John Moolenaar released the following statement:
Radical groups have posted videos, statements, and graphics calling for people to return to the Capitol to, once again, forcefully contest the presidential election results and disrupt our democratic process. We are deeply concerned that this dangerous propaganda, left unchecked, will lead to mass violence and put lives at risk. Further violent assaults on the Capitol or other democratic institutions will also undermine the peaceful transition of power that makes our great nation a beacon of democracy for the world.
Congressman John Moolenaar Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib released the following statement:
Unity cannot happen without accountability, truth, and reconciliation. Today, I voted to impeach Donald Trump for an unprecedented second time to hold him accountable for his incitement of the deadly attack on the United States Capitol and our democracy last week.
I’ve called for the impeachment and removal of Donald Trump since the day I arrived in Washington, D.C. Donald Trump is a tyrant who has continued to endanger and bring harm upon the people of the United States, taking cruel joy in inflicting pain on our most vulnerable neighbors. Last week’s attack on the Capitol was the culmination of Trump’s destructive reign in this country and his unending assault on truth and reality. He must be removed and barred from ever holding public office again.
As white nationalists, unhinged conspiracy theorists, and other Trump loyalists continue to plot armed insurrection on social media platforms and the twice-impeached President insists he’s done nothing wrong, we cannot wait and hope a peaceful transition of power happens on January 20th. Trump and his supporters have already displayed that peace is nowhere in their minds. It’s time for the Senate to act and remove Donald Trump from office.
Let’s be clear: this did not begin with Donald Trump and it certainly will not end with Donald Trump. The Republican Party has actively encouraged and benefitted from the rise of Trump’s brand of bitter fascism. There are members of Congress who must be held accountable for their incitement as well. Above all, the widespread undercurrent of white nationalism running through our society and our chambers must be confronted honestly and eliminated. Deep inequality and state-sanctioned discrimination do not disappear when Trump leaves office and won’t ever unless we root it out.
The violence, destruction, and oppression of Trumpism will continue to happen, unless we, as elected leaders in this country, commit to doing the hard work of ensuring that every one of our neighbors has a country operating upon a foundation of true justice and equity for all.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib Senator Debbie Stabenow released the following statement:
Last week, our nation experienced a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol inspired and encouraged by the current President of the United States. Our country cannot heal and move forward without accountability and justice. When the article of impeachment comes before the Senate, I intend to support removing Donald Trump from office.
Senator Debbie Stabenow Rep. Haley Stevens released the following statement:
As a Member of Congress, I take seriously my responsibility to support and defend the Constitution of the United States from enemies foreign and domestic. Last week, our nation was attacked by enemies from within as Congress met to certify the Electoral College results. It was one of the darkest days in modern American history.
Encouraged by the words of the President, insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol -- the temple of our democracy -- and left five Americans dead, including a Capitol Police officer who was brutally beaten to death by the violent mob. The President bears responsibility for this seditious attack. His incendiary posts on social media in the weeks following the election, and his calls to action at a rally immediately preceding the attack, are clear evidence of impeachable offenses. This is not the first time this President has betrayed our nation for his personal gain, but it must be the last. That is why I voted to impeach him today and why the Senate should expeditiously vote to convict and remove him from office.
To turn a blind eye to the role that the President played inciting this violent insurrection would be an abdication of the Oath of Office I took as I was sworn into the 117th Congress, just a few days ago. I did not make this decision lightly, but I believe that President Trump is a threat to our democracy, and must be removed immediately and permanently barred from holding federal elected office.
There must be consequences for his reckless and dangerous behavior. There is no unity without accountability. Tonight, the House took action to defend the Constitution, and it is my hope that the Senate will do the same. The future of our nation, and our democracy, depends on it.
Rep. Haley Stevens Rep. Brenda Lawrence released the following statement
I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Last week, President Donald Trump betrayed his oath of office by inciting a deadly insurrection against Congress, the Vice President, and our country. His reckless actions and rhetoric shook us to the core and left the U.S. Capitol—a beacon of hope and democracy—in shambles. This cannot go unanswered.
While making empty calls for unity and healing, some argue that we should just move on. These are the same people who tirelessly tried to overturn the results of a safe, secure, and accessible election. Make no mistake, there cannot be unity and healing without accountability and justice. We cannot just turn a blind eye to this dangerous President who is clearly unfit for office. With today’s vote, the House of Representatives sends a strong and clear message that any President, regardless if they’re a Democrat or Republican, will face consequences for preventing a co-equal branch of government from exercising its Constitutional duty. Today, I uphold my oath of office and vote to impeach the President of the United States.
Representative Brenda L. Lawrence Congresswoman Debbie Dingell released the following statement:
Donald Trump incited a violent mob to attack the United States Capitol. The facts are undeniable. In his words and in his actions, our President knowingly lied about the election and instructed thousands of his supporters to fight to keep him in power. For months, his incessant lies divided this country, threatened our national security, denied the peaceful transfer of power, and fueled an insurrection against a co-equal branch of government. He directly disobeyed his oath of office and violated our public trust.
But impeaching Donald Trump today isn’t just about last week’s deadly attack, it’s about preventing violence in the future. Because there can be no healing without accountability. If there are no consequences for a President attempting to siege the legislative branch of our government, the message of permission for undemocratic violence will be heard in this country and in every corner of the world.
Our democracy is young and it is fragile. It withstood an attack last week, but not without sustaining tremendous damage. Impeaching President Donald Trump is a difficult, but necessary, step towards rebuilding the cracked foundations of our democracy.
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell Michigan Democratic Congressional Delegation released the following statement on behalf of Chair Lavorna Barnes:
On this historic day in America, we applaud the Michigan Democratic Congressional delegation for voting in favor of impeaching the president. Just one week ago, thousands of domestic terrorists, encouraged by the president, invaded the U.S. Capitol with intentions to stop the certification of a secure election and attack our elected leaders. And though they failed in their plans, at least 5 people lost their lives. The president incited this deadly insurrection and must be held accountable by being found guilty of the article of impeachment and never allowed to hold public office again. He has abused his power and put all Americans in danger. Impeachment will be a start to healing in this divided country and as the eyes of the nation and the world are upon us today, and we thank the members of Michigan’s Democratic Congressional delegation for being on the right side of history.
Michigan Democratic Party Congressman Tim Walberg released the following statement:
With only a week to go in the President’s term, I oppose Speaker Pelosi’s ill-advised attempt to rush an impeachment resolution through the House of Representatives. All standard deliberative processes have been ignored, including a failure to hold any hearings, seriously examine evidence, or make the requisite case. The Senate cannot possibly be able to even begin considering the resolution until after the President leaves office. This act will only deepen the nation’s divisions at a time of heightened turmoil.
America witnessed sickening violence at the U.S. Capitol last week that we must universally condemn. In wake of the mayhem, we cannot retreat to our partisan corners. In this moment, we should find ways to bridge the divide and commit to dialing back the political rhetoric. It is time to focus on a peaceful transition of power, move forward as a country, and prioritize the issues important to our constituents.
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