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“I did not come to Congress to impeach the President. I came to fight for the people of Virginia’s 10th Congressional District -- to lower the cost of health care, work to end the epidemic of gun violence, and to strengthen America's middle class -- but President Trump’s actions have left us no choice.

“As a former prosecutor, I approached the question of impeachment with only the facts and evidence in mind -- the seriousness of this moment transcends politics. Over the course of a fair and transparent process, the investigating committees presented Congress and the American people with overwhelming evidence that the President violated his oath of office.

“On both articles of impeachment, the facts are uncontested and the truth is inescapable. The President committed a grave abuse of power when he withheld vital military aid from an ally at war with a U.S. adversary in exchange for the announcement of a baseless investigation into his political opponent that would support his own reelection. When his actions came to light, the President engaged in a systematic campaign to obstruct congressional investigations -- administering a wholesale blockade of fact witnesses, seeking to silence and intimidate any witnesses who did come forward, and refusing to produce even a single subpoenaed document.

“The President leveraged the highest office in the land for personal political gain. In doing so, he jeopardized our national security, undermined the integrity of our elections, and betrayed the public trust. The Framers gave Congress the power of impeachment precisely to protect our democracy from this kind of abuse of power.

“The President's pattern of misconduct outlined in the articles of impeachment and his unrepentant contempt for the rule of law make it clear that he poses a clear and present danger to the very foundations of our democracy.

“Voting to impeach the President was not an easy decision, nor was it one I took any pleasure in. I cast my vote with a heavy heart and a solemn sense of duty to protect our Constitution.”

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