I spoke with Clark, the vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, about the Trump administration’s stonewalling of committee investigations and whether time is running out to launch an impeachment inquiry. Our conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Elaine Godfrey: I wanted to start with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony last week. What did you think of it? Did you hear anything new?

Katherine Clark: What really struck me about Mueller’s testimony was his clear assessment that the threat from the Russians to our elections is real, it’s dangerous, and it’s ongoing. That, coupled with the Senate report that came out showing all 50 states had their elections attacked by the Russians, and with the Senate turning around on the same day as Mueller’s testimony and blocking a vote on two bills that could have helped us protect our elections.

Those factors all, for me, came together to convince me that now is the time for us to open an impeachment inquiry and use the strongest tool that we have to get the facts before the American people and to hold this president accountable.

Godfrey: Can you expound on that? What does the Senate’s rejection of election-security bills have to do with Trump’s leadership as president?

Clark: As Mueller said the Russians are continuing to attack our elections right now, as he sat there in that room testifying, on the same day, Mitch McConnell said, We don’t need paper ballots to back up [electronic voting systems]. We’re not going to even bring to a vote legislation that proposed that if you are offered election aid from a foreign power, that you report that. These common-sense protections for the integrity of our vote were brushed aside by Mitch McConnell.

It is part of a pattern of Republicans in the Senate and in the House choosing this president over their country. You see this pattern over and over again, whether it’s them looking away from his racist tweets or taking away health care from millions of Americans; whether it’s the president bragging about assaults on women, his tightening the economic noose on the middle class, or putting kids in cages. Republicans are willing to put aside everything, including the Constitution and national security, to protect this president.

Godfrey: How quickly did you come to the decision to support an impeachment inquiry? Was the decision building over time?

Clark: I have never thought that this president was fit to serve. When I look over his career and his presidency, it often reminds me of a phrase that my grandmother said: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.” He is a pathological liar. He is a racist. And he is making the winner’s circle in this country very small, just for those who already have great wealth and power.

I didn’t come to this decision lightly. I have great respect for the work that the House committees have been undertaking to try to get the facts out, to get the truth out for the American people, but I felt that it’s time we use the impeachment inquiry, because it is our strongest tool that we have.