Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei votes against article of impeachment
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 01/13/2021 - 2:58pm
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Mark Amodei (NV-02) today released the following statement after voting against the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump:
“So here we are,” said Rep. Amodei.
“A deeply divided nation. A nation that didn’t become deeply divided in the last days, months, or even years. Clearly, we are in the midst of a culture of political absolutism. Many Americans, of all political persuasions, want nothing to do with the concept that people of good will… can differ.
“There is plenty of blame to go around. Blame for last week, blame for last year, blame for the past five years.
“Joe Biden will be inaugurated next Wednesday. There is much facing the federal government right now. Vaccinations, and our economy, for sure. But first – the House agenda will deal with settling political scores and the politics of revenge. And it’s being done with unprecedented haste.
“Why is haste an issue? Because exactly who did what at the Capitol last Wednesday is an investigation that is just beginning. We know what the President did and did not say at the rally. And we sadly know what transpired shortly thereafter.
“The Article of Impeachment accuses the president of ‘inciting violence against the Government of the United States.’ Essentially a cause and effect allegation. The problem? Already we are learning that the perpetrators were recognized, monitored, evaluated, and designated as threats by the intelligence agencies who monitor Internet communications. Initial facts are clear, that well before the rally on the 6th, significant prior actions on the part of the Capitol perpetrators were being taken.
“Scouting of the building to know that ropes were needed for the West face to scale significant vertical walls, and zip ties for potential use to restrain captives; these aren’t things that can be accomplished or picked up conveniently between the Mall and the Capitol in less than an hour.
“Frustration in America? Absolutely. Does this rush to repudiate take precedence over our rule of law? In many minds it does. There is no safe haven with the vote. We face a difficult choice, but context, facts, and due process are not in my view, optional. Based on House majority rules, the President will be impeached today for a second time. That result was never in doubt.
“Last Wednesday was an awful a day as there is. Yes, the Capitol is sacred ground, yes, there is blame and responsibility for the President, and yes, we need to know who the perpetrators are and when their actions began. That’s called due process.
“The culture of vengeance cannot heal, allow us to move on, or unify our country. The Article is not strongly drafted due primarily to an objective, which is, the ends justify the means. The fledgling investigation is already verifying that those who led the perpetrators were hardly driven to action within an hour of the riot beginning.
“I vote no.”
