Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Calls on House to Censure President for Putting Personal Political Gain Over National Interest

News Release from Office of Rep Tulsi Gabbard, December 18, 2019

Washington, DC—Today, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) introduced a resolution calling on the House to censure President Trump, the text of which follows:

Whereas, in his conduct of the office of President of the United States -- and in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully to execute the office of the President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed -- Donald J. Trump, acting both directly and through his agents within and outside the United States Government, abused the powers of the Presidency for his own personal political gain.

Whereas President Trump, using the powers of his high office, solicited the interference of Ukraine in the 2020 United States Presidential election.

Whereas President Trump conducted a scheme or course of conduct that included a recorded telephone conversation with the President Zelensky, soliciting the Government of Ukraine to investigate his political rival, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

Whereas President Trump abused the powers of the Presidency by ignoring or injuring vital national interests to obtain an improper personal political benefit by abusing his high office to undermine the integrity of the United States democratic process.

Whereas President Trump has undermined America’s national security and the safety of our people with a growing list of unconstitutional and reckless actions, including but not limited to:

1.  Violating the War Powers Resolution and Article I of the Constitution by carrying out acts of war without Congressional approval.

2. Illegally and unconstitutionally using U.S. military forces to occupy and pillage oilfield reserves of Syria, a sovereign nation.

3. Recklessly enabling President Erdogan of Turkey to invade and occupy Northern Syria and conduct ethnic cleansing of Syrian Kurds.

4. Continued support for Saudi Arabia’s genocidal war in Yemen that has caused death, suffering, and starvation.

5. Recklessly abandoning nuclear agreements and treaties, like the INF treaty with Russia and the Iran nuclear agreement, thereby increasing the risk of nuclear war, nuclear proliferation, and war with Iran.

In these and other ways, President Donald Trump has undermined the safety and security of the American people.

Whereas President Trump has demonstrated that he has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law.

Whereas President Trump has acted in a manner contrary to the trust voters placed in him as President, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.

Resolved, That the House of Representatives does hereby --

(1) censure President Donald J. Trump for actions taken by the President as outlined in this Resolution, which constitute a willful abuse of power.

(2) censure President Donald J. Trump for putting his personal political interests before those of the American people in a manner that undermines the integrity of the United States democratic process.

(3) call on President Donald J. Trump to refrain from any conduct that invites foreign interference in United States elections or undermines United States Government investigations into foreign interference.

(4) call on President Donald J. Trump and the executive branch of government to respect the constitutionally defined separation of powers.

(5) strongly urges President Donald J. Trump to uphold his oath of office as established by the Constitution of the United States and fulfill his constitutional responsibilities to the American people.

(6) call on President Donald J. Trump to acknowledge and admit wrongdoing as outlined in this Resolution and apologize to the American people.

  *   *   *   *   *

Gabbard to Introduce Censure Alternative to Impeaching Trump

By Tobias Hoonhout, National Review, December 17, 2019

Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D., Hawaii) is expected to introduce a resolution calling for President Trump’s censure ahead of a Wednesday vote on the articles of impeachment drafted by the House Judiciary Committee.

Gabbard will introduce the resolution, which suggests “the president put personal political gain over national interest,” on Tuesday afternoon, according to ABC News.

The Hawaii representative is one of the last House Democrats to remain publicly undecided on impeachment.

“I’m taking this time for myself to be able to review everything that’s happened all the information that’s been put forward,” Gabbard told a crowd at Furman University in Greenville, S.C. on Monday. “And just all the factors that go into really trying to figure out what what is the best action to take for our country. And for democracy. It’s not a simple or easy decision to make.”

At the October Democratic debate, Gabbard voiced concern over impeachment.

“Trump won his election, and as unhappy as that may make us as Democrats, he won that election in 2016,” Gabbard said. “[Impeachment] will only further divide an already terribly divided country.”

A group of around ten moderate House Democrats has already revived a proposal to censure Trump over his conduct over Ukraine, as Republicans are ramping up efforts to target vulnerable Democrats over impeachment in 2020. While Democratic leadership has not whipped votes to ensure a unified caucus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized a fractured approach earlier this year.

“I think censure is just a way out. If you want to go, you gotta go,” Pelosi said in June. “If the goods are there, you must impeach. Censure is nice, but it is not commensurate with the violations of the Constitution should we decide that’s the way to go.”

---30---

Bottom Line: Gabbard depends on Republican cross over voters for support in the Democratic Presidential Primaries -- just as Ed Case depends on Republican crossover voters to win a Hawaii 'Democratic' Congressional Primary race. 

The key to understanding how liberal Hawaii ends up with two waffly Representatives: Hawaii Democrats Push for Closed Primary Fails--SCOTUS Refuses to Hear Case

Related: Ed Case Finally Gets Around to Announcing he will Vote for Impeachment 

UKDM: Two Republicans and one Democrat miss historic House votes on Trump's impeachment

2012: To Stop Mufi, Mrs Abercrombie Joins the Chris Butler Cult 

SA: Gabbard has missed 89% of votes in the House since October, according to GovTrack.us.