Murray, who presided over the impeachment proceedings, withheld comment until the trial’s conclusion, and now issues blistering rebuke of House Republicans’ sham impeachment trial
Murray: “It is up to all of us to call out this charade, and reject this dangerous precedent—for the good of our democracy. Congress cannot accept a status quo where legislating is impossible because hyper partisans constantly hijack the debate and turn our most important Constitutional remedies, into time-wasting gimmicks.”
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate, who presided over the Senate trial of the impeachment proceedings against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, issued the following statement at the trial’s conclusion:
“These impeachment proceedings were an absolute sham and disgrace from the start—a partisan stunt by House Republicans contrived to score cheap political points with no regard for truth, the Constitution, or the consequences of their reckless actions. This was not just an abject waste of taxpayer dollars, it has left a dangerous chip in the foundations of our democracy. The plain facts of the matter make clear there were absolutely no grounds for impeachment: no high crimes, no bribery, no treason—nothing. It is up to all of us to call out this charade, and reject this dangerous precedent—for the good of our democracy. Congress cannot accept a status quo where legislating is impossible because hyper partisans constantly hijack the debate and turn our most important Constitutional remedies, into time-wasting gimmicks.
“House Republicans chose—intentionally and after months of deliberation—to pursue baseless impeachment proceedings at the behest of a deeply unserious Congresswoman who has espoused virulently antisemitic and truly deranged conspiracy theories. House Republicans’ weaponization of impeachment—what should be a profoundly serious and carefully considered process—has cheapened a constitutionally-provided oversight tool of tremendous consequence, lowering the threshold for impeachment so that it is virtually nonexistent. House Republicans have set a dangerous precedent: never-ending, unsubstantiated impeachment proceedings that hamstring Congress and future administrations and threaten our democracy itself. Congress cannot allow this to become the norm.
“Ultimately the impeachment articles reflected a policy dispute, but no one should forget that it was Republicans—nearly to a one—who decided to abandon a carefully negotiated bipartisan policy deal to address challenges at the southern border simply because Donald Trump instructed them to. At every turn, Democrats have proven we are willing to negotiate serious bipartisan solutions while House Republicans have made clear they would rather campaign on the border than address it.
“The truth matters—it is foundational to our democracy. Elected officials can disagree, we debate vigorously, and we are passionate about what we believe in—but not everything is debatable. The dishonesty of House Republicans and their endorsement of a fact-free impeachment is dangerous. We all have to understand that there is reality in our world that we all need to acknowledge if we want to ever work together to solve the challenges in front of us. I commend those Republicans who have been unafraid to speak the truth and speak out against this badly misguided process—and I am glad the Senate can return to focusing on the pressing challenges facing our nation.”
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