As history was dramatically unfolding and being made before our very eyes this week, Congressman Dan Newhouse rose to speak on the floor of the House of Representatives and did a very brave thing. Or maybe it was a stupid thing. He stood up TO President Trump and his Republican party, and stood FOR his conscience, choosing the yea vote for impeachment he felt compelled to make. You can watch that speech here.

Congressman Dan Newhouse
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It may cost him his seat.

Newhouse was elected again to his fourth consecutive two-year term back in November 2020 to represent Washington's 4th Congressional district in D.C.

He drew the ire of some of his constituents back in early December when he, along with 125 other Republican members of the House of Representatives, signed on to the Texas amicus brief challenging the results of the election last year, an effort so flawed the Supreme Court wouldn't even hear the case. A short time after that, he felt the need to double down on his logic and explain what he really meant in an op-ed piece for the Yakima Herald Republic newspaper.

Now, those people who throttled him about that tow-the-party-line move are pleased as punch with his impeachment vote, but he's potentially pissed away another huge block of his voting base through alienation, by having the audacity to not fall in line with Republican party wishes or the commander-in-chief.

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He further clarified his position releasing this statement:

On January 6, 2021,  hateful and un-American extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol , attacking both the structural embodiment of our Republic and the values we promote as citizens of this great nation. This violent mob, intent on disturbing the constitutional duties of Congress, resulted in the tragic loss of American lives, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer. The mob was inflamed by the language and misinformation of the President of the United States. 

President Trump saw a coequal branch of government under attack and did nothing to end the chaos while our brave law enforcement officers were overwhelmed. Instead, Vice President Pence was the authorizing figure that mobilized members of the D.C. National Guard while the Capitol was under siege. 

The decision to impeach President Trump was the hardest decision I have made in my entire career, and it was not a decision I made lightly.  

I came to the conclusion that a vote against this impeachment is a vote to validate the unacceptable violence we witnessed in our nation’s capital. It is also a vote to condone President Trump’s inaction. Our country needed a leader, and President Trump failed to fulfill his oath of office. 

It should be a very interesting run-up to the 2022 election in Washington's 4th.

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