Earl BlumenauerVerified account

I was one of the very first to call for an #ImpeachmentInquiry. It made sense months ago and is more compelling today as Trump’s behavior grows ever more outrageous and dangerous, while support within our caucus continues to grow.

I fully understand that it must be handled carefully and strategically so that Trump cannot capitalize on it.

There is a reason he is virtually daring us to act. He thrives on chaos & desperately wants to change the subject away from his many failures & the range of issues that people deeply care about, which Democrats have been hard at work on delivering results #ForThePeople.

I fully understand the potential pitfalls and challenges, but that is not a reason to neglect our responsibility to hold him accountable. It is a reason to be careful and strategic, and that should start now.

We have key committees with strong leadership and members who have been preparing for this moment for months. We have started building the record for action. We have the ability to create other mechanisms—panels, task forces, select and joint committees.

There is the opportunity to launch separate hearing and fact-finding efforts for the various highly questionable actions by not just Trump, but his enablers throughout the government, his businesses and the campaign, to say nothing of special interests and foreign actors.

The public should see how we assemble the agenda; how comprehensive the case becomes and what role everyone in the caucus can play to complete this process.

Done right, we can continue our ambition for reform in this Congress, doing our work #ForThePeople, while laying the foundation for the highest form of executive accountability, #TrumpImpeachment.