Amash says it’s Congress’s duty to impeach Trump

Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.), who left the Republican party over the summer, reiterated his support for articles of impeachment during debate on the House floor shortly before the historic vote took place. 

“I rise today in support of these articles of impeachment. I come to this floor not as a Democrat, not as a Republican but as an American who cares deeply about the Constitution, the rule of law and the rights of the people under our system of government,” he said in his speech. 

“Impeachment is not about policy disagreements or ineffective governance, nor is it about criminality based on statutes that did not exist at the time our Constitution was written. Impeachment is about maintaining the integrity of the office of the presidency and ensuring that executive power is directed toward proper ends in accordance with the law,” he added. 

Amash went on to say he believed it is lawmakers’ “duty” to impeach President Trump, arguing he violated the public’s trust with his dealings with Ukraine and misused his power for personal gain. 

“President Donald J. Trump has abused and violated the public trust by using his high office to solicit the aid of a foreign power, not for the benefit of the United States of America but instead for his personal and political gain,” he continued.  

“His actions reflect precisely the type of conduct the Framers of the Constitution intended to remedy through the power of impeachment, and it is our duty to impeach him.”

The Libertarian-leaning Michigan congressman has long been a vocal critic of Trump. He announced he was leaving the GOP in a July 4 op-ed in The Washington Post, saying was “disenchanted with party politics” and believed the president demonstrated impeachable behavior based on former special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. The move sparked strong backlash from members of his former party. 

The House is expected to pass two articles of impeachment — one charging the president with abuse of power and a second pertaining to obstruction of Congress — largely along party lines on Wednesday evening.