Thursday, Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (D-Selma) published an opinion piece in the New York Times in which she defended the decision to launch and impeachment inquiry into President Donald J. Trump (R). Sewell said that the President, “Has endangered our national security and the very foundation of our democracy.”
“It is clear that the president, by his own admission, has endangered our national security and the very foundation of our democracy, leaving Congress no choice but to move forward with an investigation, regardless of whether or not this inquiry is politically savvy.,” Sewell said.
“Congress has a duty to the American people, to our founding fathers and to our Constitution to follow the facts of this investigation where they lead, reinvesting our faith in the system to work as it was intended.”
Sewell said that the nation is once again “standing on a precipice.”
“The president of the United States used the full power of his office to solicit intervention from a foreign government in securing dirt against his political rival, while millions of dollars in foreign aid hung in the balance,” Sewell charged. “This is evident within the White House memo of the call and by the president’s own admission.”
“These corrupt and dangerous actions imperil our national security and the cornerstone of our democracy by compromising the integrity of our elections,” Sewell stated. “The president did not sit behind a registration booth, forcing American citizens to guess how many jelly beans were in a jar before allowing them to register to vote, but the transgression is equally damning.”
“The president’s actions send a clear message to our enemies that he is willing to compromise our national interest and that of our allies for his own political and personal interest,” Sewell explained. “This should alarm every American; I shudder to think of the potential national security ramifications of his communications with foreign leaders.”
Sewell said that, “We do not know where this inquiry will lead or whether drafting articles of impeachment in the House will be the next appropriate course of action.”
“What I do know is this: The president of the United States has endangered our national security and the strength of our democracy,” Sewell stated. By his own admission, he has betrayed his oath to the American people.”
Sewell was a practicing attorney prior to her election to Congress.
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez released a statement on Thursday condemning the President.
“Tonight, from a rally stage in Minneapolis, Donald Trump made more false claims and empty promises to the American people,” Perez wrote. “It’s more obvious than ever before just how dangerous this president is to our country, our national interests, and the fate of our democracy. We simply have no choice but to act — because we cannot afford four more years of this corrupt, self-interested president.”
The official White House response struck back at Congress.
“Today, on behalf of President Donald J. Trump, Pat Cipollone, Counsel to the President, sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi and Chairmen Engel, Schiff, and Cummings. The letter demonstrates that the Democrats’ inquiry lacks any legitimate constitutional foundation, any pretense of fairness, and even the most elementary due process protections. Democrats are pursuing purely partisan goals, including influencing the upcoming 2020 election. In the process, they are violating civil liberties and the separation of powers, threatening Executive Branch officials with punishment simply for exercising their constitutional rights and prerogatives. All of this violates the Constitution, the rule of law, and every past precedent. For these reasons, the Executive Branch cannot be expected to, and will not participate in, this exercise of partisan political theater.”
Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell is in her fifth term representing Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District. She is a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee that has taken a lead role in the impeachment inquiry.
