WASHINGTON – Several Michigan lawmakers have released statements after the U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump.
The House voted to impeach the president for abuse of power and obstruction of justice after a day of debating.
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The resolution will now head to the Senate, which will hold a trial where Trump could be convicted or acquitted.
Below are statements from some Michigan representatives who voted:
Rep. Bill Huizenga -- voted “no”
“Impeachment is one of the most consequential actions the House of Representatives can take. Throughout this process, Speaker Pelosi and the Democrat Majority have broken historic bipartisan standards, denied the President due process, and moved the goalposts time and again in order to shape their desired narrative and outcome. The fact that 44% of my Democrat colleagues voted to impeach the President of the United States before the Ukraine Call on July 25th even took place exemplifies their partisan desire to remove this President.
“Our nation’s founders warned about using impeachment as a political weapon. Today, Speaker Pelosi ignored those warnings and the House proceeded with the most partisan and divisive impeachment vote in the history of our nation. The Democrats’ endless drive to impeach this President has further divided our nation and damaged the House of Representatives as an institution of government. By making the decision to abandon the Judiciary Committee and conduct the majority of the impeachment proceedings behind closed doors through the Intelligence Committee, Speaker Pelosi has set a dangerous and partisan precedent that will have a chilling effect on how constitutional matters are handled in the future.
“After reviewing the facts, I believe Speaker Pelosi, Adam Schiff, and their Democrat colleagues have failed to make their case for impeachment. In just under 11 months, the American people will go to the polls and have the opportunity to vote and make their selection for President. By engaging in a rushed, partisan process, Democrats are seeking to either overturn the outcome of the 2016 election or influence the 2020 election – neither of which should be acceptable to the American people.”
Rep. Tim Walberg -- voted “no”
“History will remember that the only bipartisan vote today was against impeachment. Our Founding Fathers never intended impeachment to be a one-sided, political weapon. Sadly, Speaker Pelosi has reduced this consequential constitutional action to a purely partisan tactic to take down President Trump.
"Since the day the President took office, impeachment has been the Democrats’ all-consuming goal—by any means necessary. What resulted was an unfair process that lacked credibility and transparency and put a premium on political theater instead of facts. As the Democrats’ case fell apart, they struggled to make their hyperbolic claims stick and so neither article of impeachment names a specific high crime or misdemeanor. By any objective standard, it is the thinnest case imaginable. The bottom line is President Trump has not committed an impeachable offense.
"After this partisan impeachment, there is no doubt the country is deeply divided. The American people are tired of this charade and they don’t trust the outcome. As representatives, we have important pocketbook issues to tackle, and improving the lives of our constituents is where our focus should be.”
Rep. Brenda Lawrence -- voted “yes”
"I just voted to Impeach President Donald Trump on two counts. (1) Abusing the power of his office and (2) Obstructing Congress.
"Republicans have spent the last year grasping at straws to cover up Trump’s outrageous misconduct and squash the truth. If Democrats didn’t speak up now to protect our democracy, Trump and his cronies would have never been held accountable for their actions.
"I proudly stand by my vote, but can the Republicans say the same? Listening to the Republican members of Congress, today, not one of them provided a defense of the president’s unconstitutional actions – Not one! Today marked the end of the Republican party as a functioning part of our government – It’s now solely a part of the Trump re-election campaign.
"Donald Trump will be in Michigan today in hopes of undermining the work we did to uphold the principals of our constitution. We can’t let Trump lie his way out this and continue to coerce foreign governments to undermine our national elections.
"I need you to stand with me now to keep the pressure on Trump and the Republican Party to hold a fair trial in the Senate.
"We took a vote to defend our democracy, but the fight has just begun.
“Fighting for you now and always.”
Rep. Andy Levin -- voted “yes”
“When I think of myself as an American, patriotic feelings swell up in me.
“There are many reasons I love America. Chief among them is our democracy, which has allowed a wondrously diverse population to come together to pursue the common good. This democracy has survived 230 years, as we have strived to create a more perfect union, often taking two steps forward and one step back.
“But our experiment in democratic self-government is more fragile than it may appear. As Abraham Lincoln warned in his address at the Young Men’s Lyceum in Springfield in 1838, it is more likely to be destroyed from within than be being overrun by foreign armies – the greatest danger is failure to uphold the rule of law.
“Today, we proclaim that no person is above the law – not even the President of the United States.
“Donald J. Trump abused the power of his office and violated his oath of office by exploiting a new and inexperienced president of a vulnerable foreign ally to dig up dirt on Mr. Trump’s domestic political opponents.
“He then obstructed the Congress, this equal branch of our government, from undertaking our duty, outlined in the Constitution to investigate and check these violations.
“Today, we do nothing more and nothing less than fulfill our duty to our country and our Constitution.
“Mr. Trump has allowed foreign powers to interfere in our domestic affairs and endangered our national security and our democracy itself. For those reasons, we must impeach the President.”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib -- voted “yes”
“The first people I spoke to this morning before coming to the historic debate and vote to impeach President Trump were my two sons. Both are at the center of why I fight so hard to tell the truth and protect our democracy.
“That the House voted to hold him accountable for his blatant abuse of power and obstruction of Congress sends a resounding message that we are a nation of laws and no one, not even the President, is above them.
“A sense of duty drives me to push back against any form of corruption within our government, especially within the office of the most powerful position in the world. We can't look away from the crimes he has committed, because if we do, it will set a dangerous precedent that endangers our democracy.
“This is—and always has been—about protecting the future of our nation and our democracy from corruption, abuse of power, criminal coverups, and bribery for generations to come. It was my honor to vote yes today because my two sons, their children, and their children’s children will look back on this time as one where justice prevailed in the people’s House.
“I sincerely hope my Senate colleagues are motivated by the pursuit of justice and share the sense of duty to country and democracy that motivated the House to act today.
“In the meantime, I will continue to shine a light on the ongoing racist abuses of power of this President and fight back against the heartless administration carrying out his dangerous agenda.”
Below are statements from some Michigan senators:
Sen. Debbie Stabenow
“I approach the impeachment trial with great seriousness and a heavy heart. One of the hallmarks of my work as an elected official is my commitment to bring people together to solve problems. That’s why it is so disheartening to watch as this impeachment debate intensifies the division between people in Michigan and across our country.
“The fact is, we are where we are because of the actions of President Trump. His behavior and abuse of power have forced the hand of everyone who cares deeply about our country, the truth, and the integrity of our democracy. It is my constitutional duty to thoughtfully consider the articles of impeachment, listen to the evidence, and make a decision that honors our nation’s values and our fundamental belief that no one is above the law. That’s what I intend to do.
“While this impeachment debate may have further divided the people of our state, I intend to continue to focus on the issues that bring us together – like protecting our Great Lakes, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and helping create good-paying jobs. While this impeachment trial moves forward in the Senate, I will not lose my focus on these important issues.”
Sen. Gary Peters
“I swore an oath to defend the Constitution as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and when I became U.S. Senator — and I will fulfill my constitutional responsibility in the Senate. Abuse of office and obstruction of Congress are very serious charges that deserve solemn consideration. We must have a fair and non-partisan process, and I will thoroughly evaluate the facts that are presented to the Senate.
“But let me be very clear, my focus on the people of Michigan will remain steadfast — protecting people with preexisting health conditions and passing legislation to lower prescription drug costs; expanding vocational training programs so everyone has the skills needed for good-paying jobs; and advancing additional efforts to protect the Great Lakes and our drinking water.”