I voted to impeach President Donald Trump for inciting an attack on the U.S. Capitol and endangering the security of the American people.
President Trump has violated his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and is no longer fit to remain in office or hold elected office in the future.
I do not take this vote lightly, just as I do not take my responsibilities as a member of Congress and as a representative of the people of North Carolina’s 2nd District lightly. It was a moral imperative that we vote to impeach President Trump so that we can protect and preserve our democracy.
President Trump put into jeopardy our free and fair elections, the peaceful transfer of power, and the will of the American people. This past week has made explicitly clear that our democracy is fragile. We cannot take it for granted. Every generation must fervently defend and protect it.
In these moments it’s important to remember our core values — the ones that I will always stand up to defend, the ones that Congress stood together to defend when we certified the election after the violent events that took place last Wednesday.
These are challenging times for our nation — we’ve experienced a number of sad, dark days and it can be difficult to see the road ahead and have hope for our future as a country. But I remain optimistic and hopeful that we will move forward together to uphold the democratic values of our nation, and I’d like to tell you why.
From a young age, I was surrounded by people who were fighting to make a difference. My junior high civics teacher was one of the most influential people in my life, and her teachings instilled in me a deep respect and reverence for our Constitution and the values enshrined within it.
Many of the people I saw serving in government made themselves a part of their community. They put the people first and did the right thing, even when it wasn’t the easiest thing to do. They truly cared about the people they represented, and their reverence for the office they held drew me to a life of public service.
Serving in Congress is an honor and a privilege—and an important responsibility. I know that we can move forward from this moment together, because of the people who are willing to do the right thing no matter what — who put the people they represent above all else.
Through all of this, I remain focused on my work for the people of North Carolina’s 2nd District. I will always fight to make a difference to improve people’s lives, and stand up for the values I took an oath to defend.