Congressional rep of Caribbean immigrants says Trump forced impeachment on himself

NEW YORK (CMC):

A high-ranking representative of Caribbean immigrants in New York says United States President Donald J. Trump has forced his December 18 impeachment by the House of Representatives – controlled by the Democrats – on himself.

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, who represents the heavily concentrated Caribbean 8th Congressional District, encompassing parts of Brooklyn and Queens in New York, said that Trump’s impeachment was “not something” that legislators “came to Congress to do”.

“We came to Congress to get things done, to work with this president to drive down the high cost of life-saving prescription drugs, and we hope to be able to pass a bill in the House over the next three weeks that would do that,” said Jeffries, chairman of the US House of Representatives’ Democratic Caucus and a member of the Judiciary Committee.

‘Building bridges’

“We’ve actually indicated that we want to work with President Trump to fix our crumbling bridges, roads, tunnels, airports and mass transportation system, and to work with him on a renegotiated NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement),” he added. “We’ve been clear about that from the very beginning.

“Well, the House is a separate and coequal branch of government. We don’t work for this president or any president; we work for the American people. We do have a constitutional responsibility to serve as a check and balance on a potentially out-of-control executive branch.”

Jeffries said Trump must be held accountable for “his stunning abuse of power”, for “undermining our national security”, and for “corrupting our democracy”.

Jeffries’ statement came even as a number of Caribbean American elected officials have welcomed Trump’s impeachment.

Trump became the third US president to be impeached in the nation’s history. He is expected to face trial in the US Senate early in the new year.