Defending Our Democracy

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted, on December 18, 2019, in favor of two articles of impeachment against President Trump—one charged him with abuse of power, the second with obstruction of Congress.

In the impeachment trial in January and February of 2020, Senators heard from a group of House Members, including Rep. Zoe Lofgren, who were selected to present the House impeachment case. Senators also heard from the President’s defense team. The Republican-controlled Senate voted down a motion that would have allowed witness testimony and new documentary evidence in the trial. At the close of the trial, Senators cast one of the most important votes of their careers—to either remove the President or acquit him of the charges made against him in each of the impeachment articles. Neither article of impeachment reached the majority vote threshold for removal.

Throughout the impeachment process, Zoe was clear that the Constitutional remedy of impeachment should only be used for the most serious of offenses that threaten our democracy and that President Trump’s gross misconduct met that high standard. President Trump admitted that he asked the President of Ukraine to take actions to help his re-election. That conduct violates President Trump's obligations under the Constitution and poses a threat to our national security.

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Working on Three Presidential Impeachments

Zoe is the only Member of Congress who worked on both the Nixon and Clinton impeachments, and the third impeachment brought her no joy. She continually urged her colleagues to approach impeachment with gravity, integrity, and a sense of responsibility.

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Photos 1 and 2: Zoe Lofgren, a staff member for Congressman Don Edwards - who served on the House Judiciary Committee, during the 1974 Nixon impeachment.

Photos 3 and 4: Zoe Lofgren, a Member of Congress serving on the House Judiciary Committee, during the 1998 Clinton impeachment. (Right click on photos to enlarge and/or download.)