HARTFORD — President Donald Trump became the third President in US history to be impeached by the House of Representatives Wednesday evening.
The House voted to adopt two articles of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of congress.
Read below some of the statements from Connecticut’s Senator’s and Representatives.
Senator Chris Murphy:
“Every senator took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and now that a trial of the president is coming to the Senate, we need to recognize that conducting a fair, fact-centered trial is central to that oath. I don’t want a trial that drags on for months, but I also want to make sure every senator has all the information relevant to the weighty decision before us. Rushing to a vote, with no witnesses and no demands for documents, would be an affront to our constitutional duty.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal:
“Tonight, as a direct result of his criminal disregard for the safety and security of our nation, Donald Trump became only the third president in the history of our nation to be impeached. After lengthy fact-finding and compelling public testimony, the case is clear: President Trump tried to trade away our national security for a personal political favor. Merely soliciting a bribe is bribery. Ineffective criminals are still criminals. I know my House colleagues felt a grave, solemn responsibility this evening as they cast their votes. I hope we in the Senate will approach our upcoming task – a full, fair trial with witnesses and documents – with the same kind of steadfast commitment to the facts and to our Constitution.”
Representative Joe Courtney:
Representative Rosa DeLauro:
“President Donald Trump’s actions are a dangerous departure from his oath of office and his duty to uphold the Constitution. As with many of my colleagues, I was reluctant to call for impeachment because I feared it would further divide our country, be perceived as overturning the 2016 election, and go to the United States Senate where Republicans would acquit President Trump regardless of the evidence. But the President’s unchecked actions gave the Congress no other choice.”
Representative John Larson:
“The President took two specific actions: he directly solicited a foreign government to gather information on his political opponent. He then further sought to promote a false narrative that it was Ukraine, and not Russia, who interfered with the elections in 2016. With the ability to correct the record, clear his name, or offer explanation for his actions, he chose instead to obstruct a co-equal branch of government from performing its Constitutional responsibilities of oversight and review. He did this by refusing testimony, ignoring Congressional subpoenas, and not providing Congress with any pertinent information or data.
