Are the Democrats correct to be pursuing articles of impeachment against President Trump?

Serving as the representative for Indiana’s 7th Congressional District remains the honor of my life, and I’ve never taken the gravity of this position for granted. Every day, I seek to address and uplift the needs, concerns and ideals of my constituents.

In our community, we believe in the Hoosier values of equality, fairness and integrity—particularly the idea that in our society, no one is above the law.

However, this president, through his words and actions, has displayed the exact opposite of this. In fact, there is mounting evidence the president violated his oath of office and his promise to the American people.

President Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine, a democratic country under siege from Russian aggression, to fulfill his personal political ambition, at the expense of our national interest. Publicly available documents, some provided by the White House, make it clear as day. This quid pro quo is not only a betrayal to the American people, it’s also a major threat to our national security. And yet, President Trump seems to be proud of his behavior, instead of being ashamed of dishonoring his office.

Our Constitution provides the mechanism to guard against this type of violation.

Congress has a duty to hold the president, regardless of party, accountable to the law and to the people he was elected to serve. I believe it’s not only necessary, but right, that Congress conduct a thorough and fair impeachment inquiry to find the facts. No matter the outcome, it is our moral and constitutional obligation to conduct this oversight.

As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, one of the primary committees tasked with conducting this investigation, I have been deeply involved in this ongoing effort. And I commend the brave and honorable public servants and military officers who have come forward with their testimony to aid the American people in our search for truth.

However, it has been extremely disheartening to witness many of my Republican colleagues discredit these brave Americans, take swipes at the way the inquiry has been conducted, and—in a cheap stunt for TV cameras—storm the secure facility where we hold these depositions to interrupt the proceedings.

Critics have loudly bemoaned the process, and ironically, the very same rules utilized by previous committee investigations. But their silence on the substance of these egregious allegations is deafening—because the more facts we learn, it becomes harder to defend the indefensible.

For too long, this president and members of his administration abused their power, using the executive branch as their own personal fiefdom. So, it’s up to all of us in the legislative branch to hold them in check—as our Founders envisioned in the Constitution, and as our constituents compel us to do.

Upholding the Constitution is not about politics. It’s about principle—particularly the values we expect our public servants to honor.

As our inquiry heads into a public phase, Americans will be hearing even more about the actions of this administration. And as these details are revealed, I hope all my colleagues in Congress think hard about one very important question: Is your loyalty to a president and political party or to the Constitution and the people of America?•

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Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat, represents Indiana’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House.Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.



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