The House of Representatives are expected to vote on the two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump that the House Judiciary Committee passed out of committee by a party-line vote.
On Tuesday, U.S. Reps. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, and Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa, say they support the articles of impeachment citing that President Trump abused his power of his office and obstructed Congress in their impeachment inquiry.
“I came to Congress to work for middle class Iowans — getting people better health care and better-paying jobs while making the federal government more accountable,” she said in a released statement.
“When I took the oath of office, I swore to protect the Constitution and our democracy. After carefully reviewing the evidence presented from the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees, it’s clear the President abused his power by using $400 million in taxpayer money for his own personal, political gain and obstructed justice by ordering his administration to refuse to testify or provide subpoenaed documents,” Axne asserted.
Because of that, she said she will support both articles of impeachment.
“While the impeachment process continues, I will continue my work to lower health care and drug costs, increase access to job training programs, and help our neighbors affected by natural disasters,” Axne added.
Axne was recently pressed on impeachment during a meeting with constituents in Mount Ayr who were concerned by the House’s focus on impeachment rather than passing the USMCA trade deal. She has also been the target of an anti-impeachment ad buy in Iowa.
“On January 3rd of this year, I had the distinct honor and privilege to raise my right hand on behalf of my neighbors across Iowa’s First Congressional District and swear I would support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I would bear true faith and allegiance to the same,” Finkenauer said in a released statement.
“I think of that oath, and my constituents who I’m grateful to serve, every day. Tomorrow, after reviewing months of testimony from national security experts, our intelligence community, and the words and actions of the President of the United States, I will continue to uphold that oath. I will be supporting both articles of impeachment and honor my duty to defend our constitution and democracy from abuse of power at the highest level,” she added.
“This decision is not, and was never about politics, and this shouldn’t be about political parties or elections,. It’s about facts, dignity in public service, and honoring those who fought and continue to fight to protect our sacred democracy,” Finkenauer concluded.
Americans are fairly evenly split on impeachment and removal, but recently polling shows a drop in support for impeachment among voters in December. CNN showed an eight point swing from voters supporting impeachment by five points in November to opposing it by three points in November. Quinnipiac show an increase in opposition over the last three weeks. For the first time since early October, the Real Clear Politics poll average supports those who oppose impeachment.
Roll Call lists the Iowa 1st Congressional District where Finkenauer is running for re-election as a “lean Democrat” district while they consider Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District where Axne is running for re-election to be a “toss-up” district. Both districts voted for President Trump in 2016.
Update: U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, who is not running for re-election in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, tweeted that he also supports the articles of impeachment.
U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, is already on record opposing the articles of impeachment.
2nd Update: Former U.S. Rep. David Young, R-Iowa, who is running in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District to challenge Axne called her decision to support impeachment a partisan one.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently said she and her fellow Democrats in Congress have been working on impeaching President Trump for two and a half years. Cindy Axne’s announcement today that she plans to vote to impeach president Trump is wrong. When Cindy Axne ran for this office, she said she would work in a bi-partisan and common sense manner. Yet today, we see her once again legitimizing an impeachment inquiry and process which has been deeply flawed, unfair, rushed, and extremely partisan from the very beginning.
As Iowans watched here from home, Congress became bogged down in this toxic partisanship and disregarded the priorities of Iowans. All they saw were impeachment hearings prioritized while the USMCA trade deal and the government funding bill were delayed. These important issues could have been dealt with months earlier. But because House Democrats prioritized this partisan impeachment sham, they waited until the last minute this year when these issues would be used as cover for members like Cindy Axne for their impeachment vote. As a final insult to Iowa farmers, the House highlighted their misplaced priorities by scheduling the vote on impeachment before the USMCA.
Impeachment is a serious Constitutional issue pertaining to high crimes and misdemeanors, yet Cindy Axne and her Democrat colleagues are impeaching President Trump without naming a crime outlined in any statute of law. This low bar of impeachment is a dangerous precedent, and partisans like Cindy Axne have brought us to this place.”
State Senate Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Ottumwa, who is running for Congress in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District responded to Loeback’s announcement and pressed Rita Hart, the presumptive Democratic nominee in that race, on impeachment.
“This entire process has been head-shaking and has dragged on for too long,” she said. “Rep. Dave Loebsack is putting party politics over Iowans with his vote to impeach President Trump. And day after day, Rita Hart has continued to dodge the issue of impeachment and not tell 2nd Congressional District voters where she stands. After tomorrow, impeachment will move to the Senate, where hopefully senators will move swiftly to acquit the president and allow Congress to get back to work. Americans are tired of the drama and tired of this divisive rhetoric. I encourage Iowans in my district to call Rep. Loebsack and tell him it’s time to move on to what Iowans truly care about: health care, immigration reform, and passing USMCA.”
3rd Update (12/18/19): A tracker confronts Finkenauer on her way to the House chamber this afternoon for the debate and vote on the two articles of impeachment against President Trump.
Also, King made remarks during the debate.