MENDOCINO Co., 12/26/19 — U.S. Representative Jared Huffman, who represents the North Coast including Mendocino County in Congress, was an early proponent of the impeachment of President Donald Trump, and last week he delivered remarks to the House right before voting to impeach the president.
As a neutral publication we are not endorsing or condemning the impeachment of the president, nor the congressman’s vote — but we do think it is valuable for the people of this district to be informed as to the actions and opinions of their representative. And so, we are publishing here a short video and the text of the remarks that he made before voting to impeach.
Huffman also recently voted against the USMCA, a new trade deal between the United States, Mexico, and Canada — essentially a renegotiation of NAFTA — which passed the house with strong bipartisan support. In his statement Huffman cites a lack of labor and environmental protections as the reason for his “no” vote. His statement on that vote can be read below.
Impeachment
Rep. Huffman Delivers Remarks on Impeaching President Donald J. Trump for High Crimes and Misdemeanors
Washington, D.C. – Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) delivered remarks on the House floor today regarding the historic vote on two articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump. Below are Congressman Huffman’s remarks as delivered and a link to the video:
“Madam Speaker, as we take this solemn, necessary step of impeaching President Trump, my Republican colleagues have made up their minds; we can’t persuade them to do the right thing. So, I address my remarks to the future. Because today’s vote will be judged by future generations including my precious children Abby and Nathan. Maybe grandkids.
“Historians will study what members of this Congress did when our democracy was tested like never before by a President who put personal interests above country; who compromised national security to cheat his way to re-election; and when caught, not only lied and refused to admit wrongdoing, but flouted Congress’ authority. He even called the Constitutional impeachment mechanism ‘unconstitutional.’
“Historians will marvel how some members continued to stand by this man; how they put blind partisan loyalty – or fear of Donald Trump – above their duty to defend the Constitution; how they made absurd partisan arguments and tried to obstruct these proceedings; and how, instead of pushing back when their party fell under a dark spell of authoritarianism, they embraced it – as if the Constitution, the rule of law, and our Oath of Office mean nothing.
“So, Madam Speaker, for our future generations, our children, and the judgment of history, let me be clear: I stand with our Constitution, with the rule of law, and our democracy. I’ll be voting ‘yes’ to impeach Donald J. Trump.”
Congressman Jared Huffman
USMCA
Rep. Huffman Votes Against Renegotiated Trade Agreement
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. House of Representatives voted on implementing legislation for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, H.R. 5430. Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) voted against the bill and issued the following statement:
“Democratic negotiators did a lot to improve Donald Trump’s weak trade deal, especially in terms of labor standards and enforcement, but the final deal did not reach the high standard that I had hoped for,” said Huffman. “The NAFTA renegotiations were a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lift labor and environmental standards across the continent. This is our last chance for the next several decades to use trade – arguably our most powerful lever – to lock in serious climate commitments with two of our largest trading partners and dramatically improve labor standards and enforcement to slow the rise of outsourcing. Sadly, because the Trump administration denies climate change and is beholden to the fossil fuel industry, this agreement does not even mention climate change. Because this agreement is unlikely to be renegotiated for decades, it is worse than a missed opportunity to confront the climate crisis; it’s a foreclosed opportunity. I am also skeptical that the labor provisions, even with the improvements won by Democrats, are sufficient to protect American workers, raise standards for Mexican workers, and ensure a level playing field. While I must oppose this agreement, I am grateful for the work of my dedicated colleagues who forced the Trump administration to make important concessions on labor provisions, pharmaceuticals, reform of the dispute resolution system, and improvements on some environmental issues. I am hopeful that we can build stronger agreements in the future that better reflect our values and priorities, including taking multilateral action to confront the global climate crisis.”
