WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) made the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach Donald J. Trump, the 45th president of the United States:

“Every senator took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and now that a trial of the president is coming to the Senate, we need to recognize that conducting a fair, fact-centered trial is central to that oath,” said Murphy. “I don't want a trial that drags on for months, but I also want to make sure every senator has all the information relevant to the weighty decision before us. Rushing to a vote, with no witnesses and no demands for documents, would be an affront to our constitutional duty.”

Murphy continued: “The bottom line is this: President Trump abused his authority by using taxpayer funded aid to pressure a foreign government to help him win re-election in 2020. Since then, he has been trying to cover up his corruption. If there are no consequences for such blatant attempts to rig an election, or such brazen resistance to congressional oversight, then I fear for the future of the rule of law. I am deeply sorry that our nation has to go through this, but now we have to focus on rising above petty politics and conducting a process that puts our nation's interests first.” 

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