Rep. Scott PetersVerified account

Mueller himself said he did NOT exonerate the president. He felt he could not prosecute Trump because of a DOJ rule against indicting a sitting president. He made it clear it's up to Congress to take further action. Given the record presented, we are duty-bound to proceed.

The Constitution provides that the president “shall be removed from Office, on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Nobody disputes that felony obstruction of justice is a “high crime” under the Constitution.

Impeachment is not a redo of the election. Voters accepted a lot that I found appalling: mocking the disabled, childish name calling, attacking war heroes and Gold Star families, insulting Muslims and Mexicans. But while this behavior is abhorrent, it is for voters to judge.

We’ve seen terrible policies from Trump: dangerous foreign policy, tariffs that hurt Americans, reckless tax cuts, cruelty toward asylum-seekers, and attempts to rip health care from millions. I disagree with Trump's policies, but they're for elections, not impeachment.

Impeachment is not about the president’s character or policies. It’s about upholding the rule of law and defending the Constitution. It’s about whether he has broken the law. The Mueller Report contains plenty of evidence that he did. Hearings may produce more such evidence.

Some argue impeachment poses a political risk for Democrats. They say Republicans will claim Trump was vindicated regardless of the outcome. That gives Americans too little credit. I trust them to discern which of us did our patriotic duty and who played to political cynicism.

We should never pursue impeachment for political reasons. Nor should we avoid it for political reasons. It’s Congress’ job to determine whether the president broke the law and acted against the interests of the United States.

If we don’t act, we send the message that criminal behavior is normal for presidents. Trump will be more emboldened to ignore Congress. And we will increase cynicism among those who depend on us to uphold the law and the Constitution. None of that is acceptable.