Westchester’s two senior members of Congress, Rep. Eliot Engel and Rep. Nita Lowey, last week joined the 118 democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives to call for an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.
“The president abused the power of his office in an effort to stymie a legitimate investigation into his campaign’s involvement with Russia,” said Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “(Former FBI Director Robert) Mueller chose to follow Justice Department guidance that a sitting president can’t be indicted. The Constitution empowers Congress with checks and balances to address high crimes and misdemeanors by a sitting president.
“The American people want, and deserve, the truth. Mr. Mueller’s testimony provided ample evidence that the president committed obstruction of justice, and I believe the House must pursue a formal impeachment inquiry.
“Questions about the abuses and corruption of this Administration require Congress to press ahead with its investigations and follow the facts where they lead us,” continued Engel. “As chairman of one of the six House committees looking into possible acts of wrongdoing in the executive branch, I’ve pushed to get answers about Trump’s cozy relationship with Vladimir Putin, unconstitutional emoluments the president has received, and the president’s deep conflicts of interest around the world.
“The president’s repeated abuses have brought American democracy to a perilous crossroads. Following the guidance of the Constitution – which I have sworn to uphold – is the only way to achieve justice.”
“Since he took office, House Democrats have been aggressively and thoughtfully investigating potentially illegal activity by the president and others on his campaign and in his administration,” added Lowey, chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee. “The administration has done all it can to withhold information, leading to various legal efforts to secure testimony and evidence.
“Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation produced a report that shed light on the depths of systemic deception that appears to be second nature for the president and his advisors. While the special counsel’s office did not indict the president, Mueller’s testimony before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees made clear that there was no exoneration of the Trump administration, evidence of obstruction of justice leaves the president vulnerable to indictment after he leaves office, and Russia continues its efforts to steal our elections from the American people.
“The House Judiciary Committee should move forward with an impeachment inquiry,” continued Lowey. “I will continue to strongly support the important efforts of Democrats on the House Judiciary, Intelligence, Oversight, and other committees who are working to hold President Trump accountable to the American people and believe an impeachment inquiry will strengthen our hand in uncovering the truth. As chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, I will also continue to work to ensure effective oversight of this administration.”
Of the 235 Democrats in the House, there are at least 118, including Lowey and Engel, who have publicly called for starting the impeachment inquiry process, while some have gone further. One former republican-nowindependent, Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, brings the number to 119.
