Florida's congressional delegation takes center stage during impeachment inquiry

With the House Judiciary Committee voting along party lines (23-17) to approve the two articles of impeachment against President Trump and move them along to a floor vote, the nation appears to have reached a new low and deeper divide over impeaching a sitting U.S. president.

Several of Florida’s congressional delegation took part in this week’s Judiciary hearings, and as one could imagine, split along party lines.

Democratic Reps. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Val Demings, and Ted Deutch, as well as Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, all gave fiery testimony as to why or why not impeaching President Trump was in the best interest of the country.

Here is the latest from these Floridians:

Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell: “This was a difficult vote and a sad day in history. I voted for Articles f Impeachment today for my country, our Constitution, and our children. We must protect our democracy at all costs. No one, not even the President, is above the law.

Rep. Val Demings: “No court in the country would allow this. Congress should be held to an equally-high, if not higher, standard.”

Rep. Ted Deutch (pictured):  “Pres. Trump solicited foreign interference in our election for personal gain. That is abuse of power. He fully denied Congressional investigations. That is obstruction. House Judiciary voted to send 2 Articles of Impeachment to the full House to defend the Constitution.impe

Rep. Matt Gaetz: “Rep. Jerry Nadler was literally campaigning on impeachment before the president even made the call to Zelensky! It’s all because they cannot stand the fact that the American First movement is the most powerful movement in American political history.”

As you can imagine, President Trump had a few things to say about the House Judiciary Committee’s handling of the impeachment process.

Here is just one of the president’s tweets:

“Poll numbers have gone through the roof in favor of No Impeachment, especially with Swing States and Independents in Swing States. People have figured out that the Democrats have no case, it is a total Hoax. Even Pelosi admitted yesterday that she began this scam 2 1/2 years ago!”

Vice president Mike Pence also chimed into the vote to move the articles of impeachment to a House floor vote. Pence's press secretary Katie Waldman released the following statement:

“Never in our country’s history has a President been treated so unfairly by a sham investigation with one-sided testimony meant to undermine the will of the American people. The American people have the facts, they can read the transcript, no quid pro quo, and the aide to Ukraine was released. Democrats in Congress should heed the voice of the American people and reject this partisan impeachment that has been a complete waste of time. Democrats in Congress need to get back to work for the American people!”  

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on impeaching President Trump next week, possibly on Wednesday or Thursday.

The Senate will then take up the measure in early January, but the impeachment inquiry is all-but Dead on Arrival.