On Saturday, May 6, the Pelham Town Meeting voted unanimously to call on Congress to begin Impeachment proceedings of President Donald Trump.
With this vote, Pelham becomes the eighth city pass an impeachment resolution. Pelham joins Los Angeles, Richmond, Alameda, and Berkeley, CA; Charlotte, VT; and Cambridge, Leverett, MA.
Pelham resident Roy Regozin was the sponsor of this resolution at the Town Meeting and gave a rousing introduction and explanation for the resolution.
“Let me say a few words about why this Resolution is being presented. The emoluments clauses in the United States Constitution, which are quoted in the first two paragraphs of the Resolution, prohibit conflicts of interest in the conduct of foreign affairs and in the conduct of domestic affairs.
Why? Because anyone having a personal interest in a matter cannot be objective about it. His/her interest will influence his judgment consciously or unconsciously. That is why judges have to recuse themselves from cases in which they have an interest – they cannot be objective.
Every member of Congress took an oath to support the Constitution. President Trump, through his business interests that he has refused to divest, appears to have conflicts of interest prohibited by the Constitution. Yet Congress has done nothing.
The Resolution before you calls upon Congress to conduct an investigation to determine whether sufficient grounds exist to impeach President Trump. Put another way, the Resolution urges Congress to do its job.
This is not mere rhetoric. Our Congressman, Jim McGovern, has said that his Republican colleagues have dismissed, as partisan, his calls for action because he is a Democrat. He needs to be able to show that his constituents are demanding action. That is what the Resolution will do, if it is approved.
I am here along with John Bonifaz, the President and Co-Founder of Free Speech For People, a national non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to renew our democracy and our Constitution for the people. Free Speech For People is co-leading, with RootsAction, the national campaign calling for this impeachment investigation. Seven communities in the nation have already passed this Resolution: Los Angeles, Richmond, Alameda, and Berkeley, CA; Charlotte, VT; and Cambridge and Leverett, MA.
This is our moment in history. Let’s support the Constitution.”