Concerned Families of Westchester protest in Hastings
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By Dan Murphy
On Jan. 3, 2021, Congressman Mondaire Jones was sworn into office, representing the 17th District of NY, replacing Nita Lowey. Rep. Jones now represents mid-northern Westchester and all of Rockland County. In his first act as a Congressman, Jones joined 12 of his colleagues in introducing a resolution to impeach President Donald Trump, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
“Just this week, Donald Trump abused his power yet again, pressuring state officials to deny the results of the November election and inciting a violent mob to descend upon the legislative branch — all in an attempt to undermine the integrity of our democracy,” said Jones. “We must ensure that this is Donald Trump’s last opportunity to do harm. That’s why I’m proud to join my colleagues in calling for impeachment. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Donald Trumps in the Republican Party seek to ascend to higher office, and we must send them a message that no one is above the law.”
This resolution comes after President Trump was recorded threatening an Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger with consequences if he failed to pursue the President’s false claims and attempting to coerce an elected official to commit fraud, and after he encouraged individuals who traveled to Washington, District of Columbia to violently attack the United States Capitol while both chambers of Congress were in session.
“Donald John Trump has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States,” the resolution reads. “Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualifiction to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.”
Jones was joined by four members of “The Squad” Representatives Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and by Congressman Jamaal Bowman, who represents the other 60% of Westchester County in 16th District, replacing Eliot Engel.
Support for Trump’s removal was evident in Hastings, as members of Concerned Families of Westchester held a “Trump Must Go Now! Impeach! 25th Amendment! Resign!” rally on January 9.
“We join millions of Americans in demanding that President Trump be removed from office immediately. We cannot wait until January 20th to be rid of him.
• In instigating Wednesday’s riots, he committed serious crimes, leading to the deaths of five people
• The events of Wednesday were the climax of his months-long efforts to subvert the results of the November election, a fundamental attack on the foundations of Constitutional government
• In the chain of events leading up to and including the mob attack on the Capitol, Trump demonstrated extreme personal instability and an inability to distinguish facts from lies
• Even though he has less than two weeks left in office, there are credible fears that he is potentially irrational enough to start a war or do irreparable damage to our nation’s well being.
The prosecution of those responsible for Wednesday’s crimes are important for other reasons as well:
• The storming of the Capitol was the culmination of four years of hateful actions by our country’s rightwing white supremacist movement. President Trump has assumed the leadership of this movement. In ending his power and rebuking his actions, we will show that the green light given to the white supremacist movement has now turned red
• The behavior of the Capital area’s security people on Wednesday – from Capitol police to Metro police to the Pentagon and the National Guard – dramatically demonstrated the unacceptable difference between the treatment of white rioters and peaceful protesters in the Black Lives Matter and climate movements. We need accountability
• The Republican legislators who supported the mob on Wednesday and who collaborated with President Trump in attempting to subvert the results of the presidential election must also be punished. There was nothing “in good faith” about what they did; they knowingly entered into a conspiracy to subvert the Constitutional process for the transfer of power. They have shown they are unfit to serve in government.
Establishing justice in this case – against President Trump, the rioting actors, and those who supported and enabled this assault on our Constitution – will not be easy, but it must be done. We can’t wait,” wrote Concerned Families of Westchester.
Congressman Jamaal Bowman said, “I see Republicans saying the president isn’t receiving “due process.” Kalief Browder, Breonna Taylor, Ramarley Graham, and countless others didn’t get their due process.Trump can get his due process in the Senate. We are moving forward with impeaching the president NOW.
“Today, I’m introducing the COUP Act, which will establish an investigation into any further ties between Capitol Police and white supremacy, insurrectionism or fascism. We have to keep going. Our government was outrageously unprepared to deal with an attack that we knew was coming.
The American people deserve to know how this could happen.
“The Republican members of Congress who incited the attempted coup on our Capitol should be expelled from Congress. I’m joining my colleagues Cori Bush, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and more to call for their expulsion,” said Rep. Bowman.
