After months of speculation over whether or not U.S. President Donald J. Trump colluded with Russians or committed obstruction, it only took the release of a reconstructed phone call transcript to implicate the president in potentially impeachable offenses. Now the House of Representatives, led by Sen. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), has begun an impeachment inquiry. The House must proceed behind Speaker Pelosi with full faith and commitment to the impeachment process, as the integrity of the Constitution demands it. 

The president, allegedly seeking to gain an electoral advantage, halted aid to Ukraine in advance of a phone call with its president. He even suggested a Ukrainian investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Given that Trump has acknowledged these actions, it is now up to Congress to investigate and determine wrongdoing. Pelosi’s ordering of an official inquiry is a significant acknowledgement of Trump’s dubious actions, but it’s now on the House of Representatives to take real action. 

The impeachment debate shouldn’t be about whether or not Trump should be removed from office, which is unlikely to happen. Instead, it should be about whether Congress is ready to break out of its collective daze and use its oversight powers to check the numerous and absurd oversteps committed by the Trump administration. In doing so, our legislators can signal to the public that they respect the Constitution and the rule of law.

The Constitution says that a president can be removed upon conviction of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” Given that the House is still investigating, Trump is innocent until proven guilty. But since Congress is entrusted with the defense of the rule of law through leveling charges against the president, it’s imperative that the House of Representatives fulfills its constitutional duties.

When former President Richard Nixon was being investigated for the Watergate scandal, former Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-Texas) emphasized, “It is a misreading of the Constitution for any member here to assert that for a member to vote for an article of impeachment means that that member must be convinced that the president should be removed from office.” Quite the contrary; it’s not a partisan action, nor one taken on a whim. Pelosi has called for a serious inquiry into grave misconduct. Given that this latest allegation caps two years of disorder and questionable behavior from the White House, Congress should take a stand.

Halting the process simply because political blowback could happen would be a serious dereliction of duty on Congress’ part. Although some argue that impeachment could cost members of Congress from swing districts their seats, that argument ignores Congress’ obligations. While this was a valid concern before, the issue concerning the phone call is more understandable to the electorate compared to the Mueller Report, and thus Congress shouldn’t hesitate with impeachment proceedings. Although the Mueller Report found 10 instances of potential obstruction of justice, the details were buried in pages of legalese that the average American might not have had any interest in reading. This issue, however, has been widely reported and is relatively easy to understand: Trump asked a foreign leader to investigate his potential election opponent. And because this episode could appear as a much stronger example of an attempt to undermine the rule of law, impeachment wouldn’t seem to be a strictly partisan affair to rid the White House of Trump, but rather a faithful effort to protect the Constitution’s integrity. 

While some may still see impeachment as a Democratic effort to depose Trump, the issue is more nuanced. The Mueller Report, which documented potential cases of obstruction of justice, could have prompted action. But now that there is clear evidence that the president has yet again pushed the boundaries of his power, the House of Representatives must do its job and fully commit to the impeachment process. If not, history will judge us accordingly.

Spencer Moore (22C) is from Rochester, Minn.

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