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House Republicans defended President Trump and attacked Democrats during more partisan debate Wednesday over impeachment rules, with Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin asserting there was no evidence that Trump did anything wrong.
“President Zelensky says there was no demand, no pressure, no quid pro quo,” the Shirley Republican said, referring to Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s leader.
US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland told reporters there was no quid pro quo after he spoke with Trump, Zeldin added.
“We heard from Ambassador Sondland that he had heard from President Trump that he didn’t want any quid pro quo and he was guessing what he stated otherwise,” he said, referring to Sondland’s previous House testimony, in which he said he was presuming that there was a quid pro quo.
During Trump’s July 25 call with Zelensky — which sparked the impeachment proceedings — the commander-in-chief asked Zelensky to launch investigations into Joe Biden, his son Hunter and the 2016 election.
The administration at the time was withholding a coveted White House visit for the Ukrainian president, as well as $391 million in military aid the country wanted to fight Russian-backed separatists in the country’s east.
The aid was eventually released on Sept. 11 after members of Congress had inquired about the delay.
Reps. Lee Zeldin and Joe KennedyAPZeldin’s comments typified the GOP’s tactics, as did Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy III’s response, delaying the votes on the two articles of impeachment the House imposed Friday, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Kennedy, a member of the famed political family dynasty, addressed his children during his remarks.
“Dear Ellie and James, this is a moment that you’ll read about in your history books. Today I will vote to impeach the president of the United States, and I want you to know why,” Kennedy began.
“He broke our laws. He threatened our security. He abused the highest, most sacred office in our land. Let the record show that today justice won, that we did our job, that we kept our word, that we stood our sacred ground. Let the record show that we did not let you down,” Kennedy said.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and slammed the proceedings in a six-page letter Tuesday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The House was expected to vote along party lines to impeach Trump, sending the matter to the Senate, which Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said would result in Trump’s acquittal.



