According to the Constitution, it is the legal duty and obligation of Congress to conduct government oversight and pursue an impeachment inquiry when there is evidence that indicates there may have been any misconduct by any government official.

There are no footnotes referring to any exclusions that read “except when it is not politically expedient”; “except if it may affect the results of a re-election campaign”; “except if it may hurt or help one political party”; 
“except if it is unlikely the Senate will convict”; “except if the removal of that government official may result in a more abhorrent character holding that office”;
 “except when the electorate is just tired of hearing about it and wants to move on,” 
or “except for” any other inconvenient and disagreeable circumstance.

No. Sorry. Given the evidence presented in the Mueller report, even in the redacted form, this Congress is duty-bound to pursue impeachment. To do less is dereliction of duty. To neglect to hold this president accountable is to invite this behavior to stay. To make it normal. To neuter one entire branch of government and turn us into a dictatorship wherein any president is above the law.

The House needs to pursue the impeachment inquiry, approving formal articles of impeachment and then laying them squarely in the lap of the Senate for trial. If the House fails to impeach, let the record show, for history to recount, who stood by this betrayal of our democracy.

And let’s never forget who they were. If this is not brought to a vote, they will not be held accountable for their complicity. If Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocks this effort, she validates those who doubted she could lead the House through the challenges today that demand bold action.

Sarah Holland

Camden