In the News

The U.S. House voted to move forward with its impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, with members of Louisiana's delegation predictably siding with their respective parties, our media partners at the Advocate report.

"It's a Soviet-style process," U.S. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said in criticizing the behind-closed-doors probe that has taken place in recent weeks.

To read the Advocate's story, click here.

Not surprisingly, they voted along party lines: U.S. Rep Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, voted for it. U.S. Reps Scalise, Ralph Abraham, R-Alto, Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, Clay Higgins, R-Port Barre and Mike Johnson, R-Benton, all voted against it.

Here are the statements we found from the congressmen:

From HIGGINS:

“Democrats are unjustly moving to reverse the results of the 2016 presidential election. They are obsessed with hatred for President Trump.

"As a member of the House Oversight Committee, I’ve attended their secret, Soviet-style depositions. Although I would never reveal or leak SCIF interactions, I solemnly report to We, the People that Adam Schiff and Democrat leaders are violating their oath of office by constructing a coordinated effort to deceive the American people.

"Democrats have denied basic due process protections, ignored the 1974 and 1998 impeachment, bipartisan House procedures and precedent, and have held every hearing behind closed doors. I believe, as an objective investigator and eye witness to the SCIF depositions, that Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi have conspired with carefully selected deposition 'witnesses' and their attorneys. Then, because they have conducted these orchestrated depositions in SCIF-level secrecy, they use their willing mainstream media cohorts to leak carefully chosen pieces of the testimony and transcripts from the deposition. They lie by omission of the full truth. This is why Schiff and Pelosi have not released transcripts from the secret depositions. They don’t want the American people to read the whole truth. Further, because no Congressman or Congresswoman outside of the 3 Committees which are allowed access/participation to the SCIF depositions have been allowed to read any transcripts of the depositions... close to 200 Democrats voted today to move forward with Presidential impeachment proceedings based on testimony they have never seen nor read.

"Instead of moving forward in a somber, honest, Constitutional, and bipartisan manner, Democrats voted today to codify their disdain for We, the People. They have been arrogant, gleeful, and their actions reflect very, very poorly upon this House and upon their own character. Today’s vote allows manifest evil and 100% political motive to mandate complete control over this most serious consideration, to disenfranchise Republicans, and to completely deny President Trump his rightful due process as an American citizen. This despicable action represents a gross miscarriage of justice.”

From JOHNSON:

“Today’s resolution does nothing to eliminate all the problems we have with Adam Schiff’s secret depositions in the Capitol basement or allow Americans to judge the evidence for themselves. In fact, it gives Chairman Schiff the power to act as the counsel, judge and jury. This is a basic violation of the president’s due process rights and of our rights as the duly elected representatives of the people. We cannot serve in the interests of our constituents if we cannot see all of the evidence. We are deeply concerned that the Democrats' decision to weaponize the impeachment process will ultimately diminish the American people’s trust in this institution.”

From ABRAHAM:

I voted against Nancy Pelosi's one-sided impeachment charade because it denies due process, requires Democrat sign-off at every step, and refuses to allow the President a chance to defend himself. It is a completely illegitimate and shameful attempt to undermine @realDonaldTrump.