Rep. Elissa Slotkin Discusses Impeachment

SO NOW LET'S COME TO WHAT'S HAPPENING INSIDE THE CHAMBER.

FOR THE FIRST TIME, THERE WILL BE REPUBLICANS WHO PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WILL VOTE AGAINST THIS PRESIDENT.

OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD BE A IN THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION AND UKRAINE IMPEACHMENT.

LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN HAVING WITH SOME OF YOUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES.

WHAT DO THEY FEEL AND ARE MORE OF THEM MORE DISPOSED TO VOTE AGAINST THE PRESIDENT THAN ACTUALLY MIGHT?

YEAH.

SO IT'S INTERESTING.

I'VE HAD A LOT OF HEART-TO-HEART CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE, REPUBLICANS WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE THIS DECISION OR WERE TRYING TO MAKE THIS DECISION.

IT FEELS VERY FAMILIAR.

IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019, MYSELF AND A FEW OTHER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO ARE FROM TRUMP VOTING DISTRICTS MADE THE DECISION TO COME FORWARD AND WRITE AN OP-ED AND SAY IT'S NOW TIME FOR AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.

I REMEMBER THAT WEEKEND BEFORE THAT OP-ED CAME OUT.

I REALLY HAD TO GRAPPLE WITH THE FACT THAT THIS MIGHT BE A CAREER-ENDING DECISION.

THAT I MIGHT NOT BE RE-ELECTED.

THAT WAS TOUGH.

YOU WORK HARD TO RUN AND TO WIN.

BUT ONCE I MADE THE DECISION THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN JUST BEING RE-ELECTED, IT ACTUALLY WAS FREEING.

I WAS HAVING THOSE SAME CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF MY PEERS, THAT HISTORY WILL REALLY REFLECT ON THESE MOMENTS AND THEY WANT TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.

NO ONE DIES IF YOU DON'T GET RE-ELECTED.

NOW, OF COURSE I GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO THESE GUYS.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

AND SO I HOPE WE SEE AS MANY -- I WOULD LOVE TO SEE UP TO 15 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, REPUBLICANS WHO VOTE WITH US TODAY.

OF COURSE I'D LOVE IT TO BE MORE.

BUT PRACTICALLY I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE.

AND THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THAT KIND OF LIKE HISTORICAL THOUGHT PROCESS WHERE THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT THEIR GRANDKIDS GOOGLING THEM AND WHAT DO THEY WANT THEIR GRANDKIDS TO SEE.

AND I APPRECIATE HOW HARD IT IS, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I WENT THROUGH A VERSION OF THIS IN 2019.

YOU DID INDEED.

AND THOSE -- IT SORT OF ALMOST WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PROPELLED YOU TO NATIONAL PROMINENCE BECAUSE YOU HAD PEOPLE FOLLOWING YOU, AND WE COULD RECORD AND HEAR WHAT THEY WERE SAYING IN YOUR DISTRICT AHEAD OF THAT IMPEACHMENT.

OF COURSE YOU REPRESENT A TRUMP-VOTING DISTRICT, SO IT'S PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT FOR YOU.

I WANT TO PLAY A SOUND BITE FROM REPRESENTATIVE DAN NEWHOUSE OF WASHINGTON WHO IS GOING TO BE VOTING TO IMPEACH THIS PRESIDENT.

THESE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT ARE FLAWED, BUT I WILL NOT USE PROCESS AS AN EXCUSE.

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ACTIONS.

THE PRESIDENT TOOK AN OATH TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.

LAST WEEK THERE WAS A DOMESTIC THREAT AT THE DOOR OF THE CAPITOL, AND HE DID NOTHING TO STOP IT.

THAT IS WHY WITH A HEAVY HEART AND CLEAR RESOLVE, I WILL VOTE YES ON THESE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT.