Representative Adam Schiff, yesterday, in closing arguments in the Senate impeachment “trial”:
“Donald Trump must be convicted and removed from office. Because he will always choose his own personal interest over our national interest. Because in America, right matters. Truth matters. If not, no Constitution can protect us. If not, we are lost.”
(Congressman Adam Schiff, video posted by C-SPAN)
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(The CSPAN video contains text from the closed captioning that works as a rough transcript. If a transcript becomes available, it will be added to the post).
(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) calls on the Senate to uphold the integrity of our democracy and our system of justice.
WATCH:
After swearing in for the impeachment trial, @SenKamalaHarris calls on senators to “uphold the integrity of our system of democracy, uphold the integrity of our system of justice, and to uphold the integrity of the United States Senate.” pic.twitter.com/rAYeaNHO8t
She also asked for Republican Senators to uphold the integrity of the Senate but, holy mackeral, has she not been paying attention!?!! The Senate is not the “saucer that cools the hot tea of the House” but a bunch of craven cowards wearing their underwear on their head and drooling.
The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland urging his Republican colleagues to serve the American people not their party’s political leader.
(Senator Van Hollen delivers the Weekly Democratic Address on the importance of holding a fair and honest bipartisan impeachment trial in the Senate while also getting work done for the American people.)
“In both previous impeachment trials, the Senate had witnesses testify. In the upcoming trial of President Trump, Democrats have proposed that the Senate hear from four witnesses with knowledge of President Trump’s actions. We are also asking the Senate to request key documents that the President has refused to provide. So far, Senator McConnell has rejected these reasonable requests for witnesses and documents, despite the fact that just this week new information has come to light showing that these witnesses and documents are directly relevant to the impeachment trial.
“Senator McConnell has not only blocked consideration of [the 300 bills sent from the House of Representatives, including critical bipartisan legislation], he has bragged about his obstruction, nicknaming himself the “Grim Reaper.” So let’s not fall for his claim that he suddenly wants to get to work on these initiatives that are important to the American people. To date, he has made no commitment to take up any of these bills whether or not there is an impeachment trial.
“As the Senate discharges its Constitutional duties – whether by conducting an impeachment trial or passing legislation – it should never be an instrument of a president, regardless of party. We should never outsource our judgement and our votes to any White House. We serve the American people, and must render justice fairly and honorably at this critical time in our history.
The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois speaking about our moral obligation to lead on climate change and how Democrats are prepared to do so.
(Congressman Sean Casten discussed the upcoming Congressional Delegation to the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid and the importance of the United States’ leadership in addressing the climate crisis.)
[Under Republicans control], the United States has failed to bring that leadership to greenhouse gas emissions. Even worse, we have walked away from the international agreements that would do so.
“And while House Democrats joined together to pass H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, sending a clear message that just like the thousands of localities, cities and U.S. companies, we are still in on the Paris Agreement, Senate Republicans and the President have met this historic effort with inaction and a resounding silence. That is not leadership. It is cowardice. […]
“The greatness of the United States – and our greatest gift to the world – is our leadership. We are not perfect, but since World War II there has been no greater advocate for equality, for the rule of law and for international peace than the United States.
“We have the ability – no, we have the moral obligation – to lead in this moment as well.
“The times have found us, and we will not shirk from our responsibilities. That will be our message to our allies in Madrid, and that is our charge moving forward. […]
“House Democrats will continue leading For The People: to lower health costs and prescription drug prices; to raise wages by rebuilding the infrastructure of America in a green, resilient, transformative way; and to clean up corruption to make Washington work for you.
The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, denouncing Trump’s treatment of our Kurdish allies.
(In this week’s address, Chairman Eliot Engel discussed the overwhelming bipartisan passage of the PACT Act, to impose sanctions on Turkey for its invasion of northern Syria and reject the President’s dangerous and reckless decision to abandon our Kurdish allies in the region.)
The House will not stand for President Trump endangering the American people with his reckless foreign policy. Our victory in passing this legislation will help keep Americans safe, showing the true meaning of American leadership.
True leadership means standing with our friends and partners, keeping our promises. It means supporting our military, making sure we are doing our part as they put their lives on the line. It means protecting human rights and human dignity, speaking out and pushing back against injustice and terror.
True American leadership is keeping our country safe. And that’s exactly what we’re doing with this legislation, and what we are doing in the House every single day.
The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, calling out the Republican Party’s diversion of funds earmarked for military families towards building their president’s vanity wall.
"President Trump is using a national emergency declaration to take away billions of dollars from our military and their families—and unfortunately Republicans in Congress are helping him." —@SenatorDurbinpic.twitter.com/BHfPJGrpsj
On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry into the criminal acts of Donald J. Trump, President* of the United States.
Speaker Pelosi: “I am announcing the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry. I am directing our six Committees to proceed with their investigations under that umbrella of impeachment inquiry.
The President must be held accountable. No one is above the law.
In the darkest days of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine wrote: ‘The times have found us.’ The times found them to fight for and establish our democracy. The times have found us today, not to place ourselves in the same category of greatness as our Founders, but to place us in the urgency of protecting and defending our Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. In the words of Ben Franklin, to keep our Republic.”
The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Congresswoman Haley Stevens of Michigan laying out the accomplishments of House Democrats as they make good on their promises to pass bills that will improve the lives of all Americans. Never has a better case been made that the American people need to #VoteOutSenateRepublicans (and elect a Democratic president!) to make those bills into laws.
(In this week’s address, the Congresswoman Haley Stevens discussed House Democrats’ For The People legislative accomplishments in the first 200 Days of the 116th Congress.)
“In the first 200 days of the 116th Congress, the House of Representatives has taken strong action on our For The People agenda — delivering for the middle class, by passing legislation that will improve people’s lives.[…]
“It has been an incredible 200 days, but one thing is clear – we aren’t going to stop working for you and your family. Districts like mine in Michigan, home to auto suppliers and incredible public schools. We are here to serve our teachers, our students, retirees, and veterans.
“We live in a magnificent country and we are going to make this government work for you – For The People.”
Today’s post was prompted by two tweets. First, this one:
OMG, this is SO great!!!!
We republished an excerpt of this on Lawfare recently, but people, read this book. It is short. It is brilliantly written in first rate layman’s prose. And it is the greatest thing ever written on the subject. Here’s the excerpt: https://t.co/Yi8kcRyrychttps://t.co/vB1KTdU5kr
It may be unpopular to say it, but Rep. Swalwell is 100% correct. Of course, it’s The Hill, so it’s necessary to go beyond the clickbait headline to read this:
“We don’t want to be as reckless with the facts as he is,” he said. “I think having thorough investigations, putting forth an impenetrable case, doing it in a bipartisan way is the proper way to do this, but we’re not there yet.” Swalwell: We don’t have enough evidence to impeach Trump
So what do we need to know about the process of impeachment that we think we know, but may not really know?
