On December 19, 2019, the United States House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald J Trump. In addition to making headlines among national and international media, it’s served local connections as well. [1-4]
President Trump himself was in Michigan that day, headlining a 2020 re-election campaign rally in Battle Creek. [5]
Then on January 15, 2020, “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday formally set in motion the process of sending the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate, triggering a historic trial set to begin on Thursday.” On that same day, Saline Journal invited our member of Congress, Republican Tim Walberg, to answer a series of questions on behalf of our readers. [6-9]
Saline Journal: “How would you assess the actions of the House in passing Articles of Impeachment against President Donald Trump, compared to the process involving President Bill Clinton?” [10-12]
Tim Walberg: “In the House, the process was one-sided and ignored the bipartisan procedures put in place during the Clinton impeachment.
Due process and minority rights were ignored, depositions were done in secret, and the articles themselves did not name a specific high crime or misdemeanor. George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley — a Democrat — said, this was the ‘shortest proceeding, with the thinnest evidentiary record, and the narrowest grounds ever used to impeach a president.’ [13]
Saline Journal: “Half a century ago, then Michigan Congressman Gerald Ford famously asserted that ‘An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.’ How would you say that the impeachment of President Trump has either validated or invalidated this statement?” [14,15]
Tim Walberg: “In his campaign to become Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Congressman Nadler boasted he was the ‘strongest member to lead a potential impeachment.’ [16,17]
Earlier this year, Congressman Al Green said, ‘I’m concerned if we don’t impeach this president, he will get re-elected.’ Hours after she was sworn in, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib famously said ‘we’re going to impeach the M-F.’ [18-22]
These examples, and plenty more, took place long before a call with the president of Ukraine even happened.
Saline Journal: “Do you believe, by and large, that members of the Senate from your own political party can and will discharge their responsibilities in this matter as envisioned by the framers? Elaborate.”
Tim Walberg: “Now that this process has moved beyond the House, it is up to the Senate to carry out its constitutional responsibilities. My focus is on the pocketbook issues that matter to hardworking families in my district, including growing good-paying jobs, lowering prescription drug costs, and expanding access to rural broadband.
Saline Journal: “Same question — with regard to the other major political party.”
Tim Walberg gave the same answer as provided immediately above, word-for-word.
Saline Journal: Why should voters in Michigan Congressional District 7 follow this process as it unfolds? take note of =your= views on this matter? see their own, personal, interests as vested here?
Tim Walberg: “Impeachment is one of the most consequential matters that can come before the House.
Our Founding Fathers never intended for it to be used as a political weapon. In Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton wrote: ‘there will always be the greatest danger that the decision will be regulated more by the comparative strength of parties, than by the real demonstration of innocence or guilt.’ Sadly, this turned out to be case. [23-25]
Saline Journal: “Fifty years from now, how do you believe an appropriate summary of this impeachment should read in the history books?”
Tim Walberg: “History will remember that the only bipartisan vote was against impeachment. A centrist Democrat even switched parties following the vote. [26,27]
The far-left wing of the Democratic Party wanted to impeach President Trump since he took office — by any means necessary — and Speaker Pelosi went along with it in a way that has further divided the country. [28]
Saline Journal: “If your college-aged self were to ask your present-day self a question about the impeachment of President Trump, what would it be? How, then, would you answer that question as yourself, today?”
Tim Walberg: “Last March, Speaker Pelosi said ‘impeachment is so divisive’ that the evidence must be ‘compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan.’ [29]
I would want to know if these high standards had been met. After reviewing the facts before us in the House, this partisan impeachment falls short on all three counts.
References
- “House of Representatives impeaches President Donald Trump” Jeremy Herb and Manu Raju (December 19, 2019) CNN.
- “Donald Trump impeached by House of Representatives in historic vote” Tom McCarthy and Joan E Greve (December 19, 2019) The Guardian.
- “Ryan Hunter on the meaning of impeachment to Black community, need to earn constituents’ votes” Ryan Hunter (January 14, 2020) Saline Journal.
- “Former local Congresswoman offered practical overview of Presidential impeachment during ‘Free College Day’” Dell Deaton (September 30, 2019) Saline Journal.
- “President Trump Rally in Battle Creek, Michigan” (December 18, 2019) C-SPAN.
- “Articles of impeachment delivered to Senate, triggering historic trial of President Trump” Benjamin Siegel, Katherine Faulders, John Parkinson, and Stephanie Ebbs (January 15, 2020) ABC News.
- “Congressman Tim Walberg, Representing the 7th District of Michigan” United States House of Representatives.
- Answers we due back to Saline Journal by Wednesday, January 22, 2020, at 5:00pm.
- Gretchen Driskell was offered the exact same opportunity, at the same time, given her announced run as a Democrat in 2020 election to serve in this same District 7 seat in the US Congress. On January 22, Candidate Driskell informed Saline Journal that she at that point would not be able to participate in this opportunity.
- “William J Clinton” The White House.
- “Bill Clinton’s impeachment: How it happened” CNN (July 12, 2017) YouTube.
- “What impeachment looked like for Bill Clinton” (September 28, 2019) CNN.
- “Republican law professor advises against impeachment, differing with witnesses chosen by Democrats” Jeff Mordock (December 4, 2019) The Washington Times.
- “Impeachment” United States Senate.
- “Gerald R Ford” The White House.
- “Congressman Jerry Nadler, 10th District of New York” United States House of Representatives.
- “Congressman who has boasted of impeachment bona fides takes number two spot at House Judiciary” Tucker Higgins (December 20, 2017) CNBC.
- “Congressman Al Green, Working for the People of the Ninth District of Texas” United States House of Representatives.
- “Rep Al Green: ‘I’m Concerned If We Don’t Impeach This President, He Will Get Re-Elected” Tim Hains (May 6, 2019) Real Clear Politics.
- “Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Representing teh 13th District of Michigan” United States House of Representatives.
- “‘We’re gonna impeach the motherf—–‘: Rep Rashida Tlaib on Trump” (January 4, 2019) The Washington Post.
- “Rep Rashida Tlaib Excited To Impeach Trump: ‘Let’s Do This’” Ian Schwartz (December 29, 2019) Real Clear Politics.
- “Founding Fathers” Khan Academy.
- “Federalist Papers” Khan Academy.
- “Federalist Papers” Resources, United States Congress.
- “US Congressman Jefferson Van Drew, Representing the 2nd District of New Jersey” United States House of Representatives.
- “Van Drew says this was the final straw for him to switch parties” Veronica Stracqualursi and and Allison Gordon (December 22, 2019) CNN.
- “Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, California’s 12th District” United States House of Representatives.
- “Nancy Pelosi on Impeaching Trump: He’s Just Not Worth It” Joe Helm (March 11, 2019) The Washington Post Magazine.
