Gottheimer Weighs In On Impeachment Vote

GLEN ROCK, NJ – New Jersey's congressional delegation largely sided with the majority of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, voting to approve two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump and charge him with abusing his office and obstructing Congress.

Here's How NJ's Congress Members Voted On Trump's Impeachment

U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer, who represents New Jersey's 5th district, was among those who voted in favor.

He issued a statement in advance of the vote, saying, “From its inception, I promised to follow the facts of this inquiry to the end, not prejudge its outcome and render a decision driven by the Constitution, not partisan politics.”

Read more: A Nation Divided: House Impeaches President Donald J. Trump

He also said, “Having considered all of the evidence and its impact on our national security and given the Administration’s efforts to prevent Congress from executing our Constitutionally-mandated oversight responsibilities, I must, for the sake of our country, support the Articles of Impeachment. I believe there is nothing more important to our country than our national security and the rule of law. I agree with our Founders that the President cannot – and must not – abuse his power. No one is above the law.”

“Given the deepening partisan divide of our country and the all but certain dismissal in the Senate, I would have considered a different course – including censure – if it would have resulted in a strong, bipartisan refutation of the President’s actions. I worked to find Republican colleagues willing to hold the President accountable. However, not a single one was willing to support censuring the President,” Gottheimer said.

See Also: Gottheimer Votes In Favor Of Impeachment Inquiry

Related: Gottheimer Says Trump Allegations Are 'National Security' Issue

“What has pained me more than anything is how divided our nation has become, particularly over these last months. But, we have faced more daunting moments in our history and I am confident that, in the end, if we put our country ahead of party, we will come out stronger and our best days will always be ahead of us,” he said.

Last week, a bitterly divided House Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment accusing Trump of abusing the power of his office and obstructing Congress.

Trump, the nation's 45th president, faces the prospect of being removed from office by Congress for high crimes and misdemeanors. Given Republican support in the Senate, however, that's considered highly unlikely.

The impeachment vote is not a conviction but roughly the equivalent of a grand jury issuing indictments. Senators, in that analogy, will serve as jurors.