Dear friend:

Last night, I walked off the House floor after casting my vote to impeach the President of the United States. It was not a vote I aspired to cast when I came to Congress. But like every other Member, I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, and to protect our nation. And given what we learned of the President's corrupt scheme, his abuse of power, and his brazen obstruction of Congress, President Trump left us no choice.

President Trump abused his power to obtain foreign interference in our election to his own benefit, and he obstructed the investigation that would uncover his misdeeds. He tried to cheat to win — and then he got caught. As one of the constitutional experts testified, if this is not impeachable, nothing is.

If you watched the debate, you may have seen a number of my freshmen colleagues speak on the floor. I was moved by the courage of these colleagues, who come from some of the most competitive districts in the nation. These members didn't come to Congress to impeach the President either. They came to fight for health care, ethics reform, gun safety legislation, and so much more. And they've spent the past year passing over 400 bills that do just that, most of which are languishing in the Senate thanks to Mitch McConnell.

But they also came to protect our democracy. And when duty called they did not flinch. A number of these freshmen colleagues came to Congress after serving the nation in the Armed Forces or in other roles that put them in harm's way. They already knew what it meant to swear an oath to uphold the Constitution, and they have been a source of strength to me throughout this process. Your support for them, and for me, means more than I can say.

The New Year will bring with it a new phase of the impeachment process as the President faces trial in the Senate. Senators will have to look to their own constitutional duty. Each Senator must swear an oath to "do impartial justice" in the trial, and I fervently hope that they will take that oath seriously.

Our Constitution has stood the test of time, but it is not self-effectuating. It requires Americans of conscience to rise above the factionalism that our Founders so feared, and do what's right for the country. By voting today to impeach the President of the United States, the House of Representatives did what had to be done to protect our elections, our national security, and the balance of power.

Over the past several months, I have drawn so much encouragement from friends like you. Your words of support give me confidence that we will emerge from this dark chapter in our nation’s history, and the dream of our Founders will live on.

Thank you for your continued support,

Adam