Washington, D.C. — Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, released the following statement today regarding the U.S. House of Representatives’ approval of articles of impeachment introduced against President Donald Trump:
This is a solemn day for our country.
There is a simple principle in this country: that nobody is above the law. It’s the principle that makes our country actually great. The Constitution applies to everyone: from you and me to the president of the United States. Trump abused the power of the presidency to pressure a foreign country to investigate a political rival—and then sought to cover it up. The law must find this president accountable, and today, the U.S. House of Representatives has done exactly that.
Today, this president is accused of high crimes, abuse of power through bribery and fraud, and obstruction of Congress. We must be clear about the stakes that lie ahead: If Congress does not act, we are inviting Trump to commit crimes again and again—because we know that if this behavior goes unpunished, he will feel unburdened to carry out more of these same malicious and undemocratic behaviors.
These are dark times. We face a president who is lawless. And as the impeachment inquiry moves from the House to the Senate, it is vital that we make clear to our senators that they swore an oath to the Constitution and will swear an oath to do impartial justice in the impeachment trial. At moments like these, when a politician does the bidding of their political leader, they betray the Constitution, their constituents, and the country we all love so dearly.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Allison Preiss at [email protected] or 202-478-6331.