Local Congressmen React to House Impeachment Resolution

Following Thursday’s vote in the U.S. House of Representatives approving rules for an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, local congressman are making their feelings known.  With a Democratic Majority in the House, the vote was 232-196, mostly along party lines.

Republican Congressman John Moolenaar of Midland made the following statement:

“I have heard from thousands of my constituents and the majority of them oppose the Democrats’ efforts to remove the president elected with strong support in this district. They want to see people in Washington working together to find common ground on the issues facing our country.

“Unfortunately, it has been ten months since Democrats took over the House and in that time they have failed to have votes on major bipartisan legislation addressing the concerns of hardworking Michigan residents including the new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada that will help Michigan farmers and manufacturing. Everyone knows Michigan needs trading relationships with our neighbors, and that’s why the House needs to vote on the USMCA trade agreement and support the strong economy we have right now. Democrats are focused on pursuing impeachment and they are losing sight of a vital deal that will help Michigan’s economy.”

Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee of Flint said:

“Opening an impeachment inquiry against the President of the United States should always be a tool of last resort, but sadly this is a necessary step to uphold and defend our Constitution. No Member of Congress was elected to begin impeachment proceedings. But I took an oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution, and I believe that we must proceed in uncovering the extent to which this President has abused his power and betrayed his oath of office.

“The President of the United States, by his own admission, used his office to try and pressure a foreign government into investigating a political opponent. In doing so, the President endangered our national security by withholding critical military assistance for his own personal gain. Over the last several weeks, senior White House officials, career foreign service officers and national security officials have all presented evidence of this President’s abuse of power.

“The House will proceed with the seriousness that this moment in history demands. We will conduct a thorough and public investigation to follow the facts and uncover the extent to which the President’s actions have threatened our national security.”

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham called the process “unfair, unconstitutional, and fundamentally un-American.”