Capitol Notebook: What Tennessee’s congressional delegation say about Trump’s impeachment – The Tennessean
The impeachment of President Donald Trump last week made history and, not surprisingly, Tennessee’s House delegation split along party lines — just as they did in 1998.
Plus, a look back at Tennessee history and the impeachments of Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton.
Here’s the some of the political news you might have missed from around Tennessee.
Impeachment of Bill Clinton
Although Tennessee was largely dominated by Democrats up until the 2000s, Republicans had a slight advantage in terms of representation in the state’s congressional delegation.
Democrats included Reps. Bart Gordon, Bob Clement, John Tanner and Harold Ford Jr. Republicans included Reps. Ed Bryant, Van Hilleary, Bill Jenkins, Jimmy Duncan, Zach Wamp.
Like Tennessee’s delegation did this week, the state’s Democrats and Republicans remained solidly split on impeaching Clinton in 1998.
At the time, Hilleary, who is no longer a member of Congress but works for U.S. Rep. John Rose, expressed disappointment about the vote.
“All of us want to get this behind us as soon as possible, members of Congress more than anybody else,” he said.
Johnson’s impeachment
The first impeachment occurred in 1868, when the House charged Johnson with violating Tenure of Office Act, a federal law that restricted the president’s ability to remove certain officials approved by Congress.
A native of North Carolina, Johnson moved to Tennessee where he settled in Greeneville. He served in the state House and Senate before being elected to Congress, where he served five terms. From 1853 to 1857, he served two terms as governor before running for the U.S. Senate.
Then in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Johnson, a longtime critic of southern secession, to serve as military governor of Tennessee. When Lincoln ran for reelection in 1864, he replaced Vice President Hannibal Hamlin with Johnson, in hopes of appealing to southern Democrats.
Johnson became president just five months after the election, when Lincoln was assassinated. Faced with Reconstruction in the aftermath of the Civil War, Johnson angered many in Congress, ultimately leading to his impeachment.
The House impeached Johnson on Feb. 24, 1868. The chamber later adopted 11 articles of impeachment related to violating the tenure act while alleging Johnson had questioned the legitimacy of Congress.
Tennessee rejoined the union in 1866. During Reconstruction, all of the state’s eight House members at the time were Republican. Four voted to impeach Johnson, three did not vote and it appears one was absent.
When the Senate held its impeachment trial, Johnson was narrowly acquitted. Thirty-five Senators voted guilty while 19 cast votes of not guilty, one vote shy of the two-thirds majority required to convict the president.
Tennessee’s two U.S. senators — David T. Patterson, who held Johnson’s old Senate seat, and Joseph S. Fowler — both voted to acquit the president.
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- Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg unveils health care plan in Memphis
- Poll finds Donald Trump’s support dips while Tennesseans remain solidly divided over impeachment
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Tennesseans react to Trump’s impeachment
Now, back to Trump. On Wednesday, after the House approved two articles of impeachment against Trump, reactions were unsurprisingly divided along party lines.
The following is a round up statements and comments from the two political parties in Tennessee and the state’s House delegation.
The Republicans
Tennessee Republican Party chairman Scott Golden
“Today is a truly sad day for America. Not because a president was impeached, however reckless and lacking in evidence, but because the assault continues on the bedrock principles and institutions of our government by left-wing, progressive Democrats. The impeachment of President Trump began well over two years ago, with the flames stoked by a media that recounted every detail of alleged Russian collusion, the Mueller Report, and Rep. Adam Schiff’s ‘evidence’ that amounted to the complete exoneration of President Trump. Democrats have met in secret basements, denied opposition witnesses, selectively leaked and lied, and abandoned all reason in order to impeach the President on primetime TV the week before Christmas. But make no mistake: 2020 will be the most important election in the history of our nation when the American people will render their ultimate judgement on the disgraceful actions of this sad day.”
U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville
“I will vote no on the articles of impeachment brought against President Trump. The way this impeachment played out was deeply troubling to me, based on hearsay claims from partisan witnesses that were made behind closed doors in the basement of the Capitol. This was an irresponsible political stunt that only deepened the divide in our country. Congress has wasted time, money, and resources that would have been better used on addressing serious issues facing Americans. I am disappointed Congress was taken down this path and I will do everything in my power to make sure Congress gets back on track.”
U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-South Pittsburg
“Today was Democrats’ fourth attempt to impeach the President, since Nancy Pelosi became House Speaker. The Radical Left may have succeeded in impeaching Donald Trump this time, on a purely partisan vote, but have failed to convince Americans this is anything other than a stunt to distract from their socialist agenda and weak presidential candidates – the real abuse of power. Fortunately, the Founders understood the potential for legislative over-reach and placed checks and balances into our system. The Senate will end this waste of time, and we can move on to important business, such as passing the USMCA trade deal and improving an economy that is already very strong.”
U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Ooltewah
“I can’t say that I expected anything less from the hyper-partisan Democrats, but I am very disappointed that they have let their deep-seated animosity towards our President become the hallmark of the Democratic party. They are not a party for the people, they are a party for the politics. Make no mistake, the President did not commit any of the myriad of accusations that they have attempted to accuse him of – from quid pro quo to bribery and obstruction. Democrats have done immense damage to our republic with their vote to baselessly impeach President Trump and I have no doubt history will not reflect kindly on their actions.”
U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Clarksville
“Today is a tragic day for our Nation. The left has never been able to accept the verdict of the American people in the 2016 election. They hate President Donald Trump. They hate what 63 million Americans voted for.”
“The President didn’t commit an impeachable offense,” Green said. “The American people who elected him didn’t do anything wrong. We’re going to continue to stand for democracy. We’re going to continue to stand against what the left is trying to do. It’s tyranny.”
“The American people will hold Democrats responsible for their unceasing attacks on this President,” Green continued. “They have subverted the will of the people and have trampled upon our Constitutional order.”
U.S. Rep. David Kustoff, R-Germantown
“Throughout this impeachment process, House Democrats turned the solemn act of impeachment into a series of partisan hearings, searching for a crime that changed every day. Yet, the bottom line is that there was no bribery, no extortion, no quid pro quo, and no high crimes and misdemeanors,” said Rep. David Kustoff. “As these Articles of Impeachment head to the Senate, I trust the President will receive the fair trial that he deserves.”
U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, R-Johnson City
“Today, is a sad day in American history. Since Donald Trump was elected in 2016, Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have been on a crusade to stop him by any means necessary. They voted to impeach a duly-elected president based on political disagreements with no evidence any crime was ever committed. I voted against this sham impeachment.
“For two years we were told then-candidate Donald Trump colluded with the Russians to interfere in our elections. After two years and millions of dollars spent on the Mueller investigation, there was no collusion. Now, Democrats are claiming the President withheld money to the Ukrainians in a “quid pro quo” or “bribery” or “abuse of power” – whichever crime polls best – to gather information on a potential political rival. The facts are clear. There was no quid pro quo, or crime, or abuse of power.
“House Democrats are setting a dangerous precedent that it is acceptable to impeach a duly-elected president over policy disagreements. Impeachment is a very serious matter, and Democrats rushed to impeach President Trump in the hope he will not be re-elected. House Democrats unilaterally decided to invalidate the vote of 63 million Americans. On this day, they have failed the American people and the basic foundations of our democracy.”
U.S. Rep. John Rose, R-Cookeville
“I stand with the vast majority of the people of Tennessee’s Sixth District in strongly supporting President Trump,” said Rep. Rose. “Today demonstrated what we knew all along: there is not bipartisan support for impeachment. In fact, the only bipartisanship we saw today was in votes cast against articles of impeachment.”
“This impeachment process has been an embarrassment to our country, an insult to our Constitution, and a distraction from the real work Congress should be accomplishing for the American people,” Rep. Rose stated. “I trust Senate Republicans will handle this matter judiciously and expeditiously, acting in good faith on behalf of the American people. I hope the House will return to the people’s business and pass meaningful policy, like ratifying the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), before recessing for the holidays.”
The Democrats
Tennessee Democratic Party chair Mary Mancini
“In America, nobody is above the law – not even the president of the United States. Trump abused the power of the presidency and he obstructed congress. His actions will be remembered as contemptible in the history books. The blind defense of his actions will badly damage the Republican Party.
Today, we got to decide how much bad behavior we would tolerate from those in power. As a member of the Democratic Party, I am proud that we voted to hold accountable those who break the law and those who are determined to protect them at any cost.”
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, from his remarks on the House floor
“From our founding, the United States has been a special nation: ‘a city upon a hill.’ Our values are enshrined in our Constitution: liberty, equality, and opportunity. We are a self-governing people, where every person is equal before the law. In the United States, we don’t have a king. We choose our leaders. We vote.
“Generations of Americans have fought – and some have died – to secure these inalienable rights.
“The Constitution begins, ‘We the people of the United States.’ That’s us. It’s not ‘we the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, or China,’ or ‘we the Democrats’ or ‘we the Republicans.’ It’s ‘We the people of the United States’ and all Americans — and only Americans — get to have a say in our elections.
“Donald Trump used the high power of the Presidency to pressure a foreign nation to besmirch his perceived primary political opponent. He corrupted our elections and compromised our national security so that he could keep power. Not power for the people – power for himself. In 2016, Candidate Trump called for foreign interference when he said, ‘Russia, if you are listening…’ In 2019, President Trump sought foreign interference when he needed a ‘favor’ from Ukraine to intervene in the 2020 election. President Trump attacked, and is a continuing threat, to our system of free and fair elections.
“Like all of you, I took an oath to support and to defend the Constitution. I urge my colleagues to abide by that oath and stand up to President Trump’s abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. To my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I appeal to your patriotism and implore you to defend free and fair elections and preserve the Constitution.
“God Save the United States of America.”
U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville
“The Tennessee—and the U.S.—model for proper behavior during impeachment is the late Tennessee Senator Howard Baker, a lifelong Republican who had the courage to take down Richard Nixon, a president of his own party, once he learned the truth. Baker, aided by Tennessee lawyer Fred Thompson (who later became a Republican U.S. Senator in his own right), thoroughly investigated Nixon and then, when they found evidence of wrongdoing, favored impeachment. Nixon, of course, then quickly resigned the presidency before being impeached.
Baker’s famous question was, “What did the President know, and when did he know it?” Baker was not punished by the Republican Party for his bravery. He later, for example, served as President Ronald Reagan’s Chief of Staff.
Republicans today are so afraid of Trump’s supporters that they are not publicly curious, although they often conclude, privately, that he’s guilty. Democrats are relying on overwhelmingly credible witness testimony to try to get the facts. Congress has not yet obtained the equivalent of the White House tapes that sank Nixon. The most important White House witnesses like John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney, and Don McGahn have been blocked from testimony by Trump himself, the first president in U.S. history to completely defy investigations by Congress, even by the Republican Senate.
But the evidence against Trump is overwhelming. John Bolton apparently called Trump’s Ukrainian policy a “drug deal” and the President’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, a “hand grenade.” Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, is already in prison, as is the President’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort. The President’s former top national security advisor, Michael Flynn, is on his way to prison. Is it possible that so many of the President’s top advisors were criminals but he knew nothing of their wrongdoing? The President’s former chief of staff, Admiral John Kelly, warned him that he was headed for impeachment.
If this whole mess were about foreign aid then perhaps Americans could get over it. But it is really about Trump helping Russia, America’s enemy, by denying anti-tank weapons to our Ukrainian allies as they tried to beat back Russian occupation. These are life and death issues; already 13,000 Ukrainians have died in the struggle. It is about Trump asking three foreign powers, Ukraine, Russia, and China, to interfere in our U.S. elections. It is about Trump disrespecting all of our U.S. intelligence agencies. It is about Trump, after the 2016 campaign interrupted his efforts to build Trump Tower Moscow, cozying up to Russia’s dictator, Vladimir Putin, and to other vicious, murderous dictators around the world.
Should we overlook such wrongdoing? Howard Baker did not overlook a much more modest offense, the “third-rate burglary” at the Watergate.
Tennessee is directly harmed by the Russian influence that President Trump has been condoning. The TEN_GOP twitter page with 150,000 followers was a Russian operation designed to confuse Tennessee voters, and was retweeted multiple times by the President’s son. Tennessee soldiers are harmed when the President abruptly, after a phone call with his favorite Turkish dictator, pulled our troops from the Syrian border, endangering our Kurdish allies and giving Russia a green light to expand their murderous influence in the area. The President’s repeated criticism of NATO, the most successful military alliance in the world, has only emboldened Russia as it has discouraged our strongest and most loyal allies.
We, in the United States, are increasingly threatened by Russia and China. Our lives and liberty are threatened by the rulers of those countries. Yet our President has been enabling and encouraging them. Such behavior is impeachable.
No one can speak for Senator Baker, but I feel confident that he would be voting for impeachment today if he were in the House of Representatives. That’s the way that I am voting: Yes, for impeachment. We have enough proof of “high crimes and misdemeanors” to send the President’s wrongdoing to the Senate for trial. That’s what the Constitution demands of us.”
From the history books
This is for you history buffs. Seventy-five years ago, the Battle of the Bulge was raging in western Europe. The battle, one of the most consequential of the war, took place from Dec. 16, 1944 to Jan. 25, 1945. It took a few days for the news to begin hitting the front page of The Tennessean. But when it did, it dominated the headlines. Check out a selection of the coverage from Dec. 18 through Jan. 1.
Don’t miss
Be sure to listen to the latest episode of Grand Divisions.
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Published 11:00 PM EST Dec 22, 2019
