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Democratic Reps. Luria and Spanberger of Virginia join calls for Trump’s impeachment

BY JENNA PORTNOY - 09/24/2019 

Democratic Reps. Elaine Luria and Abigail Spanberger, both from Virginia, say Congress should impeach President Trump if allegations he pressured a foreign leader to investigate a political opponent are true.

They joined five fellow freshmen lawmakers with backgrounds in national security to announce their position in an op-ed in The Washington Post late Monday.

They urged their colleagues in Congress “to consider the use of all congressional authorities available to us,” including impeachment hearings, to investigate allegations against Trump.

Trump is alleged to have used his position to ask the Ukrainian president to investigate a political rival, while withholding U.S. funding as leverage. His administration also prevented Congress from being informed about a whistleblower claim.

On Tuesday, Trump confirmed that he withheld military money from Ukraine, but said he did so over concerns that European allies were not. 

Luria, who represents a military heavy distinct in Virginia Beach, also put out an additional statement calling for impeachment with no caveats.

She said the president’s actions show “a total disregard for our democratic political process.”

“It is clear to me that he has betrayed the public trust and abandoned his obligations to the Constitution by elevating his own interests over the national interest,” she said. “Allegations of this gross misconduct meet the threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors set by the Constitution. Congress must investigate and use the full extent of its powers to check these alleged abuses of presidential power. The House must move forward with impeachment.”

In a letter to her suburban Richmond constituents, Spanberger said the revelations “have started a new chapter, and they must be treated as such.” 

“I want to make clear to the people of Central Virginia that these allegations, if proved true, pose a threat to our national security, endanger the integrity of our elections, and represent impeachable offenses. Congress must urgently determine if these allegations are true,” she said.

Spanberger is a former CIA officer and Luria is a former Navy commander who served for 20 years. Both won districts that voted for Trump.

The National Republican Congressional Committee accused Luria and Spanberger of caving to the far-left of their party in supporting impeachment, despite claims they are moderates.

“In districts President Trump won, Elaine Luria and Abigail Spanberger have dropped their phony moderate act to join their impeachment-obsessed base and it will cost them their seats in 2020,” NRCC spokeswoman Camille Gallo said.

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Among Virginia Democrats in the House, Reps. Gerald E. Connolly, Don Beyer and Jennifer Wexton previously called for impeachment; Reps. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott and A. Donald McEachin have said investigations should continue.