Pocan: ‘A Vote That Sets the Precedent for All Future Presidents’

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02) released the following video after the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump. See the full text of his video below.

On January 3^rd, 2013, I was sworn into Congress. On that day, I swore an oath—an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all its enemies. Unfortunately, President Trump has made it clear: he doesn’t support our Constitution.

In July of 2019, President Trump blocked $400 million in Congressionally-approved aid that Ukraine desperately needed to defend itself against Russia. But he needed Ukraine to do him a favor first though. President Trump asked that the President of Ukraine launch an investigation into his political rival, Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, military aid and a meeting with the president would only come after.

But this is not about a single call or a single transcript. This is about a perfect storm—months of activity directly ordered by the President to his senior Cabinet and political appointees. Months of activity led by this President to pressure the Ukrainian government to conduct investigations into his political rivals.

There is no question about it—this was a clear and orchestrated plan laid out by this President, inviting a foreign power to interfere in our democracy.

President Trump betrayed his oath of office. He abused the power of his office—the highest office in the land—for personal and political gain. Since then, he has refused to cooperate with a co-equal branch of the federal government—the United States Congress—by refusing to provide any documents or allowing any government witnesses to testify. This obstruction of Congress coupled with his shameless abuse of power make up the articles of impeachment the House of Representatives passed today.

Our vote to impeach the president should not have been a partisan vote. It was a vote for our Constitution and a vote for the future of our country. It was a vote that sets the precedent for all future presidents—Democrat or Republican.

In his long life, Donald J. Trump has never been held accountable for his actions. Today, Democrats sent a clear signal to this president and all future presidents: No one is above the law.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.