Rep. Ed Case Will Vote To Impeach Donald Trump
Still unknown is where Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will stand when the full House votes as expected this week.
WASHINGTON 鈥 U.S. Rep. Ed Case said Monday he will vote to impeachment President Donald Trump this week for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
But Hawaii’s other member of the House, Tulsi Gabbard, has yet to announce her intentions.
Case is a moderate Democrat who represents a deep blue district encompassing urban Honolulu, yet he鈥檚 been careful in weighing his decision, one that he鈥檚 described as one of the most consequential he鈥檒l ever make.
In a two-page statement, Case said that the evidence against Trump makes clear that the president used his position to convince a foreign country, Ukraine, to investigate his political rivals, namely Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
鈥淚n reaching my conclusion, I have focused on the oath I took again this January to 鈥榮upport and defend the Constitution of the United States,鈥欌 Case said.
鈥淚 believe my oath requires me not only to place our Constitution above all other interests, but to act carefully, deliberately and inclusively especially in a decision of such lasting import to our country.”
The congressman has been criticized by some in Hawaii for not being more outspoken about impeaching the president.
“I have reached out and listened to my constituents every way I can.” 鈥 Rep. Ed Case
Case, however, has said he wanted to consider the views of all of his constituents, even the ones who may have voted for Trump in 2016 and did not support the impeachment inquiry. He reiterated this desire for inclusiveness in deliberations Monday.
鈥淚 have reached out and listened to my constituents every way I can,鈥 Case said. 鈥淚 have especially tried to understand the views of my fellow citizens who do not agree with impeachment. Reasonable and good Americans who care deeply for our Constitution and country do disagree. All deserve consideration and respect.
鈥淢y own obligation now is to make the decision, as a member of a separate, independent and co-equal branch of government with my own obligations to our Constitution and country.鈥
He added that if Congress did not move to impeach the president it would 鈥渂etray our Constitution and have the most serious consequences to our country and system of government both today and for generations.鈥
Gabbard Undecided
Still unknown is how U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will vote when the time comes.
Like Case, Gabbard is a Democrat representing a deep blue district 鈥 rural Oahu and the neighbor islands. The congresswoman, however, has been cagey when it comes to talking about impeachment.
Gabbard, who鈥檚 running for president, was quick to move on from Special Counsel Robert Mueller鈥檚 investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, one that found evidence of possible obstruction of justice by Trump himself.
She has said that if Mueller found that Trump had conspired with Russia to win the election 鈥渋t would have precipitated a terribly divisive crisis that could have even led to civil war.鈥
A darling of conservative pundits, Gabbard was the last 2020 Democrat in the presidential race to support the House impeachment inquiry into Trump.
Once the House Judiciary Committee drafted and approved on a partly-line vote two articles of impeachment last week, Gabbard鈥檚 office and campaign ignored Civil Beat鈥檚 repeated requests for comment.
At a recent campaign event in New Hampshire, Gabbard expressed skepticism of the ongoing process.
鈥淧ursuing impeachment for partisan reasons is something that will only further divide an already divided country and it actually undermines our democracy,鈥 she said.
Gabbard then added that she was 鈥渦ndecided鈥 on how she is going to vote.
Read the articles of impeachment here:
