An un-American process

What Speaker Pelosi and her progressive pals are doing in the halls of our U.S. Capitol seems to defy even Ruth Bader Ginsburg's most liberal interpretation of the Constitution and laws of the United States. Our Founders crafted the remedy of impeachment for serious situations and provided instructions for how that process would happen. Even though they were careful to make sure impeachment would not be used for purely partisan gains, that is exactly what Pelosi and the liberal elite have been trying to do.

Ever since he was elected President, the Left has been committed to removing President Trump from office. That is why there were 70 Democrats who voted for the President to be impeached even before Robert Mueller said anything about his months-long investigation. They have made it clear that they will stop at nothing to steal the election away from the 63 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump to be our 45th President.

Congressional Impeachment proceedings require the highest levels of fairness and due process. These values are at the heart of our democratic process and are enshrined in our Bill of Rights. Yet so far, this process has failed to follow any of the basic procedures that were afforded to every other President in our history. Both President Nixon and President Clinton were treated with fairness, shown their standard due process rights, and were litigated in the public space. However, President Trump has had a much different experience from Speaker Pelosi.

Under this kangaroo court, he has been unable to provide evidence for his defense, has not been allowed to provide lawyers for those being forced to testify, he has not been permitted to see any evidence being used against him, and he cannot cross-examine any of the witnesses. Instead, Nancy Pelosi and her socialist understudy Adam Schiff are conducting their witch hunt in secret and controlling the narrative by selectively leaking information to the pro-impeachment press. That is because this investigation has never been about uncovering the truth, but about creating a fact pattern that supports their dream of removing President Trump from office.

The Left has been so obsessed with taking down the President they are now less than 13 months away from the next election and have no meaningful accomplishments to speak of. Over the last year, under Nancy Pelosi's leadership, Congress has not been able to get a single piece of legislation to the President's desk which would help the middle class. Instead of working to find common ground on the issues we can all agree on, they have just wasted time litigating the results of the last presidential election.

In stark contrast, during President Trump's first two years in office and under a Republican controlled Congress, we got things done. We rebuilt our military to keep our country safe, rolled back burdensome regulations costing our economy $33 billion to save the average American household $3,100, and passed massive tax cuts that have benefited American families, leading to the lowest unemployment numbers in 50 years. These are the real results President Trump has delivered for hardworking Americans.

Speaker Pelosi and her liberal majority have moved forward with only the fourth ever impeachment investigation of an American President. Consumed with hatred and blinded by their partisanship, the Democratic Leadership is making reckless decisions that abandon the Constitution and undermine our American values. As their show trial moves forward without any due process or respect for the rule of law, I know all Americans will see this for what it is: an un-American process and politics at its worst.

Jason Smith is a member of Congress representing Missouri's Eighth Congressional District.