Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) issued the following statement after she voted “present” on the motion to table H.Res. 1486 to impeach President Trump:
“Today, the House voted to table Articles of Impeachment against Donald Trump over his abuse of power and weaponization of ICE and Border Patrol agents, resulting in death, destruction and widespread fear across the country.
“The actions of the Trump Administration require serious scrutiny and attention, and I remain alarmed by the lawlessness that we have seen. I have been an outspoken critic of this Department of Homeland Security’s cruel and inhumane actions against our immigrant communities. Since the onset of these attacks, I have consistently voted against funding ICE and Border Patrol, introduced legislation to demand greater oversight and accountability for the detention and deportation of legal residents and citizens, stood against the proposed establishment of an ICE detention facility near my district and more. Over a year and a half into Trump’s second term, we face a campaign of terror launched against our immigrant communities, rampant corruption, an agenda that prioritizes the interests of the ultra-wealthy at the expense of everyone else and skyrocketing prices across the board.
“However, while many of these warrant accountability and President Trump likely has committed impeachable offenses, Congress has not established the record necessary to support Articles of Impeachment or a conviction in a Senate impeachment trial. Such a record requires a comprehensive investigation, the collection and review of evidence, examination of witnesses, Congressional hearings and more. None of that has occurred yet, and I do not trust the current Republican majority to conduct the kind of investigation necessary to impeach President Trump or conduct an impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate.
“When Articles of Impeachment were raised against Trump last year, I voted present on a motion to table the resolution so that a proper investigation could be conducted. For those same reasons, I voted present on today’s motion to table Representative Green’s latest Articles of Impeachment.”