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https://www.middletownpress.com/middletown/article/Impeachment-vote-is-weighing-on-CT-14914055.php
CT delegation votes to impeach Trump
Updated 9:51 pm EST, Wednesday, December 18, 2019
WASHINGTON — After months of evidence gathering, political calculus and partisan fights, five Connecticut Democrats cast two historic votes Wednesday in favor of making Donald J. Trump the third president in American history to be impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives.
"What makes this impeachment essential is that the president's abuse of power has not stopped," said U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, the only delegation member to give a floor speech.
"He sees nothing wrong with inviting Russian, Ukrainian or Chinese interference in our election. He did it. He continues to do it. And he sees nothing wrong with it," Himes said. "He'll wake up tomorrow and do it tomorrow if we do nothing about it today."
House members approved the two articles of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The questions on the articles were decided by overwhelmingly partisan votes. On abuse of power, two House Democrats voted no with Republicans and one who voted present. On obstruction of Congress, three Democrats voted no with Republicans and one voted present.
Impeachment will strike a permanent mark on Trump's legacy and could affect re-election prospects for some members of Congress.
"I realize there are people back home who are going to be frustrated or disappointed by the decision," said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2. "At some point you cannot look the other way."
On the House floor Wednesday, a heated debated lasted for more than six hours. Republicans blasted the impeachment process as "unfair" and called it a baseless "charade." Some chanted "four more years" after the first articles of impeachment passed.
The White House said Tuesday Trump would watch some of the proceedings between meetings, before he flew to a rally in Michigan.
"The Republican party has never been so affronted, but they have never been so united as they are right now," Trump said in Michigan.
There was no doubt that House Democrats would have the votes to impeach the president, as almost all House members announced how they will vote over the past week. All of Connecticut's delegation had indicated they would vote in favor of the two articles of impeachment.
"The Constitutional recourse for 'treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors' is clear: impeachment. It is a heavy price—intended only for matters of grave consequence to our republic," said U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3. "President Trump's actions meet that high bar, and that is why I voted in favor of the articles of impeachment."
U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1, said Trump brought impeachment on himself.
"It may be true that this is the way Donald Trump does business. But no one, including Donald Trump is above the law," said Larson. "You take an oath of allegiance to the constitution of the United States, not the art of the deal,"
Democrats said they approached the vote with heavy hearts.
"It is definitely weighing on me," U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5, said Tuesday about the vote. "I understand how important it is and it's not overly popular at home."
Himes said Wednesday said the partisan rancor over impeachment made him "weary" and "melancholy." But in his speech Wednesday evening Himes said impeachment gave him "hope" because it was the mechanism for Congress to stop the president's alleged abuses of power.
U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., said Democrat's sober mood was an act; they were instructed not to smile, he said.
"[Rep.] Adam Schiff [D-Calif.] and the Democrats, in writing their report and telling their story, will not tell the American public anything that doesn't fit the narrative to take the president down," Zeldin said.
The impeachment vote will conclude a 12-week House impeachment inquiry into evidence that Trump used U.S. military aid and a White House meeting as leverage to obtain investigations from Ukraine that could benefit his 2020 re-election. The House Intelligence Committee heard testimony from several ambassadors and Trump administration officials about the president's conduct toward Ukraine.
In response to their findings, the House Judiciary Committee drafted two articles of impeachment. Following the House vote, the Senate will convene a trial.
Several House Democrats, called managers, will act as prosecutors presenting the evidence against the President. Himes has expressed interest in being selected for this role by Pelosi.
"I know that I have colleagues who are campaigning for it," Himes said. "I haven't said anything or done anything or than indicate some interest in doing it."
The White House will mount a defense of Trump in the Senate trial. Senators will act as jurors, casting votes to remove or acquit the president.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., predicted on Tuesday a "largely partisan outcome" in the Senate. McConnell has said he will coordinate how the trial will be run with the White House Counsel. He dismissed a request from Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., to call more witnesses to testify to the Senate.
"The House chose this road," McConnell said. "It is their duty to investigate. It is their duty to meet the very high bar for undoing a national election."
He added that impeachment is a political process and he will not be an "impartial juror."
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., accused McConnell of "aiding and abetting an apparent cover-up" by helping Trump keep documents and witnesses away from Congress.
"President Trump has fought and obstructed every single document request and many significant witnesses and it must be because he has something to hide. If those witnesses and documents were going to be helpful to him, he would make them available," Blumenthal said. "I think history will judge him and my Republican colleagues very harshly if they continue this blocking and obstruction."
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Blumenthal have said they believe a few Republicans may be open to the idea of impeachment — or at least hearing the evidence. Both of the senators have backed the impeachment inquiry.
"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," Murphy said. "Rushing to a vote, with no witnesses and no demands for documents, would be an affront to our constitutional duty."
Himes made a cynical prediction about the trial.
"At the end of the day, it's going to be a lot of sound and fury," he said.