Underwood Votes To Impeach Trump For 2nd Time After Capitol Siege

KANE COUNTY, IL — U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood voted Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump for a second time for his role in last week’s deadly attack on the Capitol.

Trump is the only U.S. president to be impeached twice after the House charged him with a single article of “incitement of insurrection” connected to the attack. The House passed the impeachment resolution by a 232-197 vote.

"The deadly attack one week ago today was incited by the President of the United States and supported by some Republicans in the House and Senate," Underwood said in a video posted to her social media pages. "It was an infuriating and un-American disgrace."

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Insurrectionists loyal to the president stormed the U.S. Capitol on last week as lawmakers were inside certifying Biden's Electoral College victory over Trump. Lawmakers paused the vote and were quickly locked in safe areas before being evacuated as violence escalated in and around the building.

Police shot and killed a 35-year-old California woman who was part of the mob inside the Capitol building Wednesday, and a U.S. Capitol Police officer was killed while clashing with insurrectionists hoping to overturn Trump’s loss. Three other rioters died that day on the Capitol complex from what police described as medical emergencies.

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More than 70 people, including at least three Illinoisans, have been arrested in connection with the attack on the Capitol as of Wednesday, CBS News reports.

Last week, the President incited a deadly attack on the U.S. Congress. He presents an immediate danger to our democracy & to the security of our country.

Congress must protect democracy & uphold the Constitution by removing him from office. I will vote to impeach the President. pic.twitter.com/dWO7PirEuF
— Rep. Lauren Underwood (@RepUnderwood) January 13, 2021

Underwood said Wednesday afternoon she was voting to impeach Trump after Vice President Mike Pence signaled he would not invoke the 25th Amendment, which would immediately remove Trump from office.

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“Unfortunately at this time, the vice president has not taken action and now Congress must take action to uphold our constitutional responsibility,” Underwood said in the video. “Today, I will vote to impeach the president. It is not something I take lightly.”

Underwood, who was recently sworn in for her second term, said she took an oath “and pledged to the people of the 14th District that I would uphold the United States Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

“These were not symbolic words, but an oath I took to fight for the preservation of our democracy against a real threat to its survival,” Underwood said. “We have been reminded that our democracy is fragile — perhaps more fragile than we realized — but we must stand up for our values as a country and be willing to fight for its preservation.”

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All of Illinois’ Democratic representatives voted to impeach Trump, while all Republican representatives — except Rep. Adam Kinzinger — voted against the articles of impeachment.

Kinzinger was one of 10 House Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to impeach Trump for a second time.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has signaled he will not allow the Senate to vote on Trump’s impeachment until after Biden takes office on Jan. 20.

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