Last Updated on December 17, 2019, 11:44 AM | Published: December 17, 2019
U.S. 5th District Congresswoman Kendra Horn announced Tuesday morning that she will vote for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
Horn’s U.S. 5th District includes Oklahoma City and some of the northern suburbs. It also includes Pottawatomie and Seminole Counties to the southeast of Oklahoma City.
“It is with a heavy heart, but with clarity of conviction that I have made my decision,” Horn said in a news release Tuesday morning.
“The oath I took to protect and defend the Constitution requires a vote for impeachment.”
“This is not a decision I came to lightly, but I must do my part to ensure our democracy remains strong,” Horn said.
Constitution
The attorney from who grew up in Chickasha invoked the Constitution and the history of U.S. democracy.
Horn said:
Protecting and defending our Constitution is about preserving our democracy and systems for generations to come. We cannot allow any president of either party to abuse the power of their office or to obstruct Congress. Therefore, we must act to protect our Constitution, the integrity of our elections, and our national security.
Founders
“Our founders put in place checks and balances between three co-equal branches of government to ensure that no one is above the law,” said Horn.
“Allowing one branch or president to ignore our laws and Constitution would set a dangerous precedent.”
“Inviting foreign interference”
The articles of impeachment allege abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
“Inviting foreign interference in our elections strikes at the heart of our democracy, threatens our national security, and is an abuse of power,” Horn said.
It is never acceptable for any president, regardless of party, to ask a foreign country to put their finger on the scale of our democracy.”
She believes that the evidence points to Trump’s withholding evidence, non-compliance with subpoenas and stopping members of his administration from complying with the orders of Congress to appear.
Long deliberation
This comes after spending many town halls and media appearances holding off those who wanted her to commit either way.
Horn said in the statement that she went to Congress to “fight for Oklahomans” and to “find common ground” to find “bipartisan solutions.”
“I did not come to Congress seeking impeachment, nor do I agree with the extreme voices on either side,” Horn said.
Resisting demands
In every town hall that Free Press has covered, Horn has been deliberate and careful to say that she needed to wait for the evidence to come in before making a decision.
That hasn’t stopped attendees from asking and giving their opinions either way.
For the most part, we observed the majority of attendees to either be neutral or for impeachment.
In each, there have been about 3 to 10 individuals who had been holding signs outside or expressed their desire for her not to vote for impeachment.
In a press availability with local and national news media in September, Horn insisted that it would not be right to decide or declare what she thought until she had full knowledge of the evidence showed.
“I am disappointed in lawmakers on the right and left who pre-judged the outcome of this investigation, whether they condemned the President before hearing all the facts or attempted to derail the process rather than improve it,” Horn said in the Tuesday news release.
Dark money groups on the political right have already been running ads on television, The Oklahoman (a state daily newspaper) and other media.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
