Pelosi Calls For Impeachment Proceedings, RI Lawmakers Speak Out

The House of Representatives will move forward with a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Tuesday. Since then, Rhode Island lawmakers have voiced their support for the measure, issuing statements and posting on social media.

Congressman David Cicilline, who has never shied away from vocally criticizing the president, said on Facebook that there is "no choice" other than impeachment.

"The dam’s not breaking. It’s broken. We have no choice but to impeach this President," Cicilline wrote, followed by simply: "Ok, let's get this done."

Congressman Jim Langevin, meanwhile, took a slightly less extreme position.

"The President may very well have betrayed his oath of office by asking a foreign power to dig up dirt on a political opponent," Langevin wrote. "I support House Democrats’ actions to get to the bottom of this immediately."

Senator Jack Reed, the most senior member of Rhode Island's congressional delegation, issued a statement after the Senate unanimously approved a resolution calling for the release of the whistleblower complaint involving the president and Ukraine.

"Under the Constitution, impeachment is a decision for the House of Representatives," Reed said. "The American people should hear directly from the whistleblower, see the evidence for themselves, and then Congress should chart an appropriate course of action. There must be a bipartisan commitment to stopping this president, or any president, from soliciting foreign interference in our democracy."

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said that Congress has been given "little choice" except to investigate.

"If the president used foreign aid to induce a foreign nation to investigate a political opponent, he plainly violated his oath of office. We must know if these reports are true, so I am pleased the House will pursue the necessary evidence to understand exactly what took place," Whitehouse said. "The executive branch and Attorney General Barr seem determined to stonewall Congress and prevent the public from learning what really happened. That left Congress little choice but to pursue legislative investigation. I hope the House conducts a meticulous investigation, and that both parties in Congress are prepared to perform our duty as the facts emerge."