Nation stands divided while history is made

Mark down the date. Dec. 18, 2019. It will become part of history.

For only the fourth time in the nation’s history, the House of Representatives will take up articles of impeachment against the president of the United States.

That became clear last week when the House Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Delaware County’s newly elected Democratic Mary Gay Scanlon, D-5 of Swarthmore, a member of the committee, left little doubt where she stood.

She flatly suggested President Trump “turned his back on the Constitution” and “betrayed the American people.”

Scanlon stressed that the impeachment process – written into the Constitution by the founding fathers to prevent for the express purpose of corralling a commander-in-chief run amok – is not about policy differences or personality.

Instead, she suggested, this is about Trump’s actions, and “whether they have undermined our government,” in effect meeting the threshold of “high crimes and misdemeanors” mandated by the Constitution.

“I took an oath to support and defend this Constitution, and to put my country before myself,” Scanlon said. “The question we must answer – not only as members of Congress but as Americans – is will we accept a president who refuses to do the same.”

She was joined by Montgomery County Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-4, one of four Democratic women candidates elected to the House in 2018’s blue wave.

Monday night, another member of that quartet, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-6 of Chester County, who had been riding the fence on the question, announced during a tele-town hall that she also would vote in favor.

“Sadly, it is my conclusion after that investigation and after careful, personal consideration of all the testimony, documents and reports, that these allegations are true and that we must impeach this president,” Houlahan said in a statement.

That means all nine Democrats in the House from Pennsylvania

have indicated they will support the two articles of impeachment.

The impeachment articles are expected to be passed by the Democrat-controlled House – largely along party lines, and then sent to the Senate, where senators will sit as the jury in an impeachment trial.

The Senate is expected to acquit the president, again largely along party lines.

On Monday several Democrats whose districts lean Republican all concluded that they also would support the articles of impeachment.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., represents the Richmond area. Her district voted for Trump in 2016.

“The president’s actions violate his oath of office, endanger our national security, and betray the public trust,” she said in announcing her decision.

For Rep. Elissa Slotkin, DMichigan, the question hit a little closer to home. She announced her decision to support the articles of impeachment Monday afternoon. A few hours later, she appeared at a town hall at a university student center in the Detroit suburbs. So did 400 of her constituents. As she took the stage, she was greeted by a chorus of cheers and boos from the raucous crowd.

Slotkin stood firm in her beliefs, even while being heckled and freely admitting her decision likely would cost her the seat she won in 2018.

“Impeach Slotkin,” one person yelled. “Slotkin is a spy,” another interjected. Slotkin is a former CIA officer and Defense Department official.

So far there is no indication that any Republicans in the House are willing to break rank and vote in favor of impeachment. At least a few Democrats are expected to stand with the president.

One, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, D-2, who represents the Cape May County, is expected to announce he is switching parties to show his displeasure with his House colleagues.

Today Donald Trump’s name is likely to be etched in stone beside Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

The nation survived. But make no mistake. This is different. The cuts go deeper. The United States is anything but united; instead, we are a nation divided. If nothing else, this process has proved that.