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Velázquez Impeachment Floor Statement

December 18, 2019

Velázquez Impeachment Floor Statement

Washington, DC – Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) spoke today on the House floor during debate in support of two articles of impeachment against the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. Her remarks as prepared for delivery are below and video of her speech is online here.

"The facts are clear – the President of the United States withheld $400 million in military aid to an ally of the U.S. -- and also held back a White House meeting to compel a foreign nation to investigate his political opponent.

"At the exact time the President was doing this, Ukraine was engaged in a battle for its very existence with one of America's adversaries, Russia. The President abused his powers to persuade a foreign nation to dig up dirt on a political opponent. This was, quite simply, a ‘geopolitical shakedown.'

"The President then tried to block Congress from exercising its constitutionally-mandated duty to uncover the truth.

"Every single one of us, today, faces a stark choice. If we choose to turn a blind eye, to put political expediency before the Constitution, then we are complicit in this subversion of democracy. If we do not hold this President accountable, we have failed the people who sent us here and we have abdicated our own oath to defend the constitution."

"In the United States of America, no one is above the law, not even the President."