Beyer statement on impeachment resolution vote

Rep. Beyer issued the following statement today on his vote for a motion to table Rep. Al Green’s resolution which would refer one article of impeachment against President Trump for racist tweets directly to the U.S. Senate.

“I strongly support an impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Trump. I voted to table H. Res. 489 because it would effectively prevent the House from conducting such an inquiry.

“I believe that we have substantial evidence, both in the Mueller Report and elsewhere, that the President has committed obstruction of justice and potentially other high crimes and misdemeanors. Such acts clearly meet the standard for impeachment which the Founders laid out in the Constitution, and we have a duty to act on them and establish the truth for the American people.

“This resolution, however, does not address those acts by the President. If successful it would immediately initiate an impeachment trial in the Senate solely to consider whether the President should be removed from office for the racist tweets which he wrote earlier this week. I have been vocal in my condemnation of those tweets and his other racist statements and actions, but I do not believe this is the best way forward on impeachment.

“It is imperative that the House of Representatives have the ability to investigate and establish the facts, build the evidence required to educate the public about the President’s wrongdoing, and put ourselves in a position to make the strongest possible case to the Senate before voting on articles of impeachment. We must bring forward our best evidence on obstruction, emoluments violations, and other potential crimes – not simply focus on the President’s latest horrible remarks, harmful though they are. I worry that the House of Representatives would forfeit its vital role in this process if today’s resolution passed.

“I will continue to advocate for an impeachment inquiry including investigatory hearings, document production, and witness testimony which we need to fully and fairly evaluate the case for impeaching President Trump.”

Rep. Beyer called for an impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Trump in May.