Oregon’s Congressional Democrats Are All Aboard the Trump Impeachment Train

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) announced their support Tuesday for an official impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

"Beginning impeachment proceedings is not an action to be taken lightly," Merkley wrote in a statement. "Unfortunately, the gravity and extent of President Trump's corrupt actions makes it absolutely clear that Congress must do so. President Trump has repeatedly and flagrantly violated his oath of office and disgraced the office of the presidency.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) announced the official impeachment inquiry this afternoon, and Merkley and Bonamici are among several Oregon politicians to support an inquiry.

"I commend Speaker Pelosi for moving forward with an impeachment inquiry," said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici in a statement. "The President admitted to asking a foreign government to investigate a political adversary. He must be held accountable for this impeachable offense, along with his many other wrongdoings that have betrayed the trust of the American people and undermined our democracy."

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is one of those politicians, having penned an Aug. 2019 op-ed in The Oregonian making the case for the U.S. House of Representatives to investigate the president. He too issued a statement of support this afternoon.

More than three-quarters of House Democrats have announced their support of some kind of impeachment action as of publication, according to NBC News, including Oregon's representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) and Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon). That leaves U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Oregon) as the only Oregon congressional Democrat not to issue a statement supporting the inquiry.

Impeachment actions could include beginning inquiries or drafting the necessary articles of impeachment, which are the set of charges against the official.

This comes after allegations that Trump pressured Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.

This afternoon, Trump tweeted several times during the announcement, writing, "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!" and "They never even saw the transcript of the call. A total Witch Hunt!"