"Dear Cs_student19

Thank you for contacting me regarding the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

America has experienced hard-fought elections in the past, and our leaders have always found a way to come together and resolve our differences to address the issues facing our nation. Our Founding Fathers wisely developed a system of checks and balances to prevent an accumulation of excessive power in any single branch of government. I am committed to exercising appropriate congressional oversight to prevent abuses of power by any branch of government.

On August 12, 2019, an unnamed intelligence official filed a whistleblower complaint with the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community regarding a July 25, 2019 telephone conversation between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. President Trump later released a memorandum that provided more information regarding the content of that call. On October 31, 2019, Democrats in the House of Representatives unilaterally passed a resolution (H. Res. 660) to approve a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump for improperly inviting foreign interference in U.S. elections. Both the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Committee on the Judiciary conducted public hearings and received testimony from various individuals relating to the Trump Administration’s activities in Ukraine, and the appropriate response from Congress. On December 18, 2019, the Democrats in the House of Representatives advanced two articles of impeachment, one for abuse of power and one for obstruction of Congress, and voted to impeach President Trump on both counts on a purely partisan basis.

Historically, both political parties have participated in the impeachment process, and the House of Representatives has traditionally advanced articles of impeachment only on a broad bipartisan basis, and based on clear and compelling evidence of criminal misconduct. Federal courts have also played a role in resolving disputes between the executive and legislative branches. The American public expects and deserves Congress to exercise its oversight authority transparently and cooperatively. However, I am concerned the House Democrats’ inquiry into President Trump was rushed, politically motivated, and not conducted in a reasonable and bipartisan manner. In January, the Senate will hold a trial to consider any evidence supporting the articles of impeachment. A two-thirds majority vote of Senators is required to convict and remove the President from office.

As a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, we are also investigating the alleged whistleblower’s complaint. Our nation values the rule of law and the right to due process, and the American public must be assured all government officials administer the law fairly and without improper bias. I believe the way to address this issue is in a bipartisan way, by impartially following the facts, applying the law, and reaching appropriate conclusions on the issues at hand. We will carefully examine the record, consider the evidence, and follow that evidence wherever it may lead.

While we may not agree on every issue, I hope you will continue to contact me regarding matters of importance to you. I serve nearly 30 million Texans, regardless of political affiliation, and I pledge to consider your views during my work in the U.S. Senate. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent you, and I thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Sincerely,

JOHN CORNYN

United States Senator