Rep. Auchincloss On Vote: 'We Strike A Blow For Moral Leadership'
NEWTON, MA — Today, ahead of the historic vote in the House, U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss who represents the 4th Congressional District in Massachusetts, made his first floor speech.
Auchincloss was an original co-sponsor of the article of impeachment that passed the House Wednesday.
"A mob desecrated our Capitol, killed a police officer and attempted to overthrow our government on the orders of the President of the United States," he said. "Immediate impeachment is our duty under a Constitution that compels us to defend against enemies foreign and domestic. As a Marine officer, I defended our democracy from foreign enemies. As a Member of Congress, I am solemnly resolved to defend it from domestic ones. With this vote, we strike a blow for moral leadership."
On his first day on the job Jan. 6, Auchincloss was among the legislators in the U.S. Capitol building required to go on lockdown when rioters broke windows and forced their way into the building.
Five people died and around 70 were arrested after rioters breached the Capitol, according to several reports. Photos from inside the building show rioters in the House Chamber and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's office, and security ushering out the legislators. Tear gas was also seen coming from the front of the building where some rioters climbed balconies and what is to be the inauguration stage when Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Jan. 20.
On Wednesday the article of impeachment passed the House with Republican support. It will go to the Senate, which can convict the President and bar him from running for office again.
Auchincloss has represented the Massachusetts 4th Congressional District since last week. The district stretches from Newton and Brookline to Attleboro and Fall River. Rep. Joe Kennedy and Rep. Barney Frank both represented the district before him.
Source:
Jenna Fischer