The House of Representatives will debate two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump Wednesday and will vote on whether to approve them.
Rep. Joe Kennedy III, among those set to participate in the day's proceedings, plans to vote in favor of impeachment. He said he takes "no joy" in the task before Congress, emphasizing the solemnity of the day and the body's responsibility to hold the president accountable for his actions.
"It is a very difficult day for our country, and none of my colleagues — none of them — ran for Congress to impeach a president of the United States." Kennedy told WGBH Morning Edition Host Joe Mathieu Wednesday. "I also don't know what else we are to do. ... The bedrock of our Constitution is accountability, because we want to make sure that we have a representative democracy and not a despot. That's what this is about."
The floor debate comes less than a week after the Judiciary Committee voted to send two articles of impeachment — charging Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — to the full House for a vote. The articles are likely to be approved on party lines, which would make Trump the third president in U.S. history to be impeached.
When asked what he thinks about Republican House members' intentions to vote against impeachment, Kennedy said he understands the political pressure many of his colleagues face. But he thinks it's a mistake to look the other way when presented with what he called overwhelming evidence that the president engaged in criminal behavior.
"I understand how difficult it would be to go against your president, your constituents, your party," he said. "But I also am certain what history will write about this moment 50 years from now."
If the House votes to impeach Trump, the process would then move to the Senate for a trial. Two-thirds of the Senate would have to vote in favor of impeachment in order for Trump to be removed from office.
Kennedy has served in the U.S. House since 2013 and is also challenging Rep. Ed Markey in the 2020 Senate race.
