The House session that resulted in the second impeachment of President Donald J. Trump afforded lawmakers an opportunity to put the need to do so into the Congressional record.
Here are some of the expressed thoughts and associated images:
“After President Trump was impeached, Susan Collins said, ‘He’s learned a pretty big lesson. He was impeached.’ Then, he brought his wild riotous television show that he produced for one person, individual one. Intelligence reports indicate that the people he said he loves and are special are going to attack this city and attack this Capitol next week. He has not asked them not to do it. He’s not told them to stand down. I am most (fearful) for January 20 because I think he will go out with a bang and take attention away from Biden.” – Rep. Steve Cohen
“President Trump’s actions encouraging, inciting a mob that stormed the United States Capitol for the sole purpose of stopping the constitutional counting of votes cannot go unanswered by this body. … To the millions of Americans watching today, I hope you understand we are proceeding on this path out of love for our country.” – Rep. Joe Neguse
“Let us be very clear, what took place on January 6, 2021 was an act of domestic terrorism by right-wing white supremacists … instigated by the president in the White House. The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it sets to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil it multiplies it.” – Rep. Yvette D. Clarke
“Last Wednesday’s events were not just the breach of a building but a breach of our democracy, a threat to our republic and who we are as Americans. Donald Trump incited threat(s) against America and overturn(ing) the will of the American people. We must send a clear message that committing sedition disqualifies him from serving another day in office.” – Rep. Steven Horsford
“Madam Speaker, I rise today to support impeachment. I do so with a heavy heart and a lasting and searing memory of being in this gallery, this people’s house, right up there, fearing for my life and why? Because the president of the United States incited others to be violent, a mob of insurgencies in this house. It’s unacceptable. It led to the killing of five Americans. Blood is on this house. We must do something about it. I ask that we move from ‘stopping the steal’ to healing. The healing requires accountability. Everyone must be accountable.” – Rep. Terri Sewell
“The President radicalized American citizens and as his Vice President fled from a lynch mob, the Speaker cowered; and while people died, he watched with glee. That is why even though it is only seven days before the end of his term, we have the fierce urgency of now. Seven days is too long for him to be in power. He could declassify state secrets and he could even pardon the person who killed our U.S. Capitol police officer.” – Rep. Gwen Moore
“In Michigan’s 13, we speak truth to power, even in the face of a racist-in-chief. Those who incited an attack on the people’s house do not talk about healing and unity. They have torn this country apart. They have stoked the fire and then handed the gasoline to Donald Trump. Dr. King once said, ‘true peace is not the absence of tension. It is in the presence ofjus tice.’ Today, we must embody those words. And we must understand that peace must be centered in truth and action. We cannot … sit idly by after a violent attempted coup and allow hate to continue. Today, we stand up for our constituents, who continue to be harmed.” – Rep. Rashida Tlaib
“Let me make everybody aware that on those … sun-bleached bones of history … of many great nations are written those pathetic words: ‘too late.’ They moved too late to save their great nations. Let us not this day move too late to save our great nation.” – Rep. David Scott
“I’m certain that every member of Congress would say if they had been in Congress when John Lewis walked across that Edmund Pettus Bridge that they stood on the right side of history. Well, Madam Speaker, today, we’re going to see exactly what side of history you all are going to be on.” — Rep. Hank Johnson Jr.
