For Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), this week marked her third round of impeachment hearings. In the early 1970s, she worked as a staffer for Congressmen Don Edwards during Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal. And in the late 1990s when Bill Clinton took the stand, she was serving her second term in the House of Representatives.
During her testimony on Wednesday, however, Lofgren called the accusations against Trump worse than those leveled against Nixon.
“President Trump not only abused his power to help his re-election, he used a foreign government to do it,” Lofgren said. “He used military aid provided to fight the Russians as leverage solely to benefit his own political campaign.”
I’ve worked on two prior presidential impeachments. This third time brings me no joy. It is a solemn, but necessary occasion.
The President abused his power to upend the Constitutional order. It is our responsibility to use the tool our Founders gave us to preserve it. pic.twitter.com/zsAyQzxL6c
— Rep. Zoe Lofgren (@RepZoeLofgren) December 18, 2019
The Silicon Valley representative voted yes for both articles of impeachment: obstruction of Congress and abuse of power.
As did Congressman Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), who read out a portion of Abraham Lincoln’s Lyceum Address, which discusses political institutions.
“What makes America the strongest and most prosperous nation in the world is our reverence for the rule of law,” he recited. “It is our love of the law that protects our freedoms, our private property, our families, from the exercise of arbitrary power.”
Today, we vote to impeach, affirming our reverence for the rule of law as a check on arbitrary power as well as Lincoln’s call in the Lyceum address for a political religion. pic.twitter.com/buBy6UTRZ0
— Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) December 18, 2019
Congresswoman Anna Eshoo also invoked the words of a famous historical figure: Alexander Hamilton. The Democrat from Palo Alto said one of the founding fathers’ biggest fears was that powerful members of the government would become “mercenary instruments of foreign corruption."
“President Trump abused the powers of the presidency by ignoring and injuring national security and other vital national interests to obtain an improper personal benefit,” she said. “He also betrayed our nation by abusing his high office to enlist a foreign power in corrupting democratic elections.”
I believe the Constitution is the soul of our nation, and by defending it, we are saying we will not be soulless. pic.twitter.com/lY9bJPaLK9
— Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (@RepAnnaEshoo) December 19, 2019
The articles of impeachment will now head to the Senate, which will carry out a trial. Anything less than a two-thirds majority vote in the GOP-controlled Senate, however, means Trump will remain in office.
Again, I’m glad to see that California’s representatives are aligned in upholding their oath of office to protect the US from enemies, foreign and domestic.
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/802/490/1650372/
I would have voted to impeach but not sending will be subject to the court.
Will it go to the senate? Sorry but if the case is that weak they would have ran it over. Obama should have been impeached for the IRS attacks on conservatives. This crime was weak and thus circus just cost money.
It’s not that the case is weak (the cheeto-in-chief admitted to it; constitutional scholars all said the actions were impeachable offenses), it’s that if it’s sent over to the Senate, Turtle McConnell and the rest of his obstructionist Repubs will acquit. The turtle man already said that they would. The do-nothing Senate Repubs are so scared of the Cheeto, they don’t want to upset him. Too bad they have no cajones.
Nancy’s playing smart on this one. She’s gonna let this ride into the election year. I mean, who would vote for a loser impeached president? And that’s what he is: impeached. It’s a done deal. Forever in the history of the United States, Donny Trump will be known as a president that was impeached.
Lol. Lots of people will be voting for him. Sorry snowflake. It was a BS impeachment just like Bill Clintons. The Democrats will get hammered in 2020.
Haha, Jeff, you’re living in dreamland. Evangelicals want Donny out now, too.
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/december-web-only/trump-should-be-removed-from-office.html
Repubs should revolt now, while they still have a chance, or the turtles and the Devin’s cows from Tulare County will get flushed right along with the orange. And btw, ‘snowflake’? Ok boomer, you can do better than that.
Sorry but this case is very weak. Calling your President orange always says the person has zero argument. Your just a left winger. Sorry Obama did worse. Having the IRS go after people really.
Did you even watch this impeachment what a circus. Very poorly done. The world is laughing at such a joke of a trial.
I truly believe he was impeached because that is only way the dems can win. If not name the Democrat that can beat him? Don’t say Obama cause he is done
> “President Trump not only abused his power to help his re-election, he used a foreign government to do it,” Lofgren said. “He used military aid provided to fight the Russians as leverage solely to benefit his own political campaign.”
The “big lie”.
Repeating a big lie endlessly doesn’t make it true.
Having the hirelings of the Jeff Bezos’ owned Washington Post, or the Michael Bloomberg owned Bloomberg news, of the Jeff Zucker CNN repeat the big lie doesn’t make it true.
Would you buy a used car from Zoe Lofgren?
Would you buy a much-used false narrative from any Bay Area Democrat?
Democracy: “Government by the stupidest and most easily manipulated fifty one percent”.
Democracy: “It’s who we are”. Yup.
100% Pure Democrap B.S.! Cut your own throats? Wonderfull!
These people must think we are absolute idiots to believe the Crap they are spewing. They are lying, cheating, corrupt, crooks who got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. And the audacity of the bold face lies is really the kicker. They all need to go, or if they continue, they themselves should be “impeached”.
Zoe Lofgren is a stone cold liar. Vote NO on ZOE, LOFGREN has GOT TO GO!
overblown hype. Lofgren said this wasn’t political when it clearly was. Look at the votes in the house. This was such an “urgent” matter as Trump supposedly was a grave and immediate danger to the county – – is all proven to be BS. This is demonstrated by the fact that now nancy will not take the articles of impeachment over to the senate. – -so there was no immediate danger – just vindictive losers wanting to piss on a president who has accomplished much (USMCA just this week). – so Zoe and the others have been lying to us. Soon Barr will come forth with damaging evidence against the “swamp” as there should not be two levels of justice.
> “He used military aid provided to fight the Russians as leverage solely to benefit his own political campaign.”
This is prosecution by mind-reading.
When prosecutors can convict a person by reading their mind, we’re all eventually going to be found guilty.
“The Amazing Kreskin finds you guilty of colluding with the Russians”.
bunch of liars and losers. The public is on to their bs.
Dems doing the heavy lifting to give Trump swing Electoral College votes and Senate Seats, you know the ones that matter.
Thanks Nancy, Nadler, and Schiff
Agreed. AOC will go down as changing America forever with dems losing seats and giving RBG court seat to a hard right judge.