Dear Representative Pappas,

A friend of mine received the response (below) from the Representative in response to a request for the Congressman to pursue impeachment of the current occupant of the White House. I am writing to you now to express how seriously disappointed I am in the say-nothing, do-nothing platitudes and talking points in this letter. 

The Congressman (or his timid staff writer) expresses no true acknowledgement of the depths to of depravity through which the current administration has dragged our country, our allies, our most vulnerable citizens, and would-be-citizens. The letter says, "this is not how a president should conduct himself in office". Ya think? Trump is well on his way to becoming a tyrant, and all the Democratic opposition in Congress can do is say 'tsk, tsk'. 

The letter says "Americans deserve a transparent, accountable government where no official is above the law," but it also clearly indicates a disinclination to do anything to actually achieve that transparent, accountable government. Words attributed to Chris include,  "I remain committed to providing thorough oversight of President Trump's actions" but declines to say what that means - certainly there is no commitment to impeachment, no mention of any other investigation, no explanation of why waiting is the right thing to do. We don't need Chris Pappas for 'oversight' - Trump does his dirty work in plain sight - laws and norms be damned. We can all "oversee" the crumbling of our democracy: we see it, listen to it, read about it, talk about it, tweet about it every day. We already know how disastrous, incompetent, corrupt and self-dealing this president is - what we need is for our elected leaders to stop him and hold him accountable, as soon as possible. 

"Standing up", being "committed", being "concerned", "seeking common ground" are as useless as thoughts and prayers. Such ineffective, passive activity is literally enabling and encouraging this so-called President to continue to give Russia and North Korea a pass, to push his hateful, racist agenda on all sides of our borders, to pack the courts with Federalist Society fundamentalists whose idea of 'Make America Great Again' is to roll back women's rights, gay rights, first amendment rights and democratic norms. This is not the time for calm deliberation or 'unpacking' of the Mueller Report. There's not just smoke swirling around this administration, there's a five alarm fire, but while Rome burns, the Democrats wring their hands and talk vaguely and impotently about bipartisanship. 

It's time for the Democrats to stop worrying about how it will look if they impeach, and start worrying about what will happen to all of us if they forsake their Constitutional duty to bring charges against this president for the crimes and misdemeanors he has committed. "Take care" that the laws are faithfully executed, Representative, that's the job we sent you to Washington to do. 

Mary Downes

Durham, NH

Dear XXXX,

Thank you for contacting me regarding impeaching President Trump and his conduct in office. I appreciate you taking the time to offer your views and opinions, as it helps me to better represent you and New Hampshire’s priorities in Congress.

Since President Trump’s inauguration, many Granite Staters have shared their concerns with me about his public statements in office, including his tendency to make insensitive comments and false statements. They have also expressed outrage over his attacks on the free press, our allies around the world, and the institutions of our democracy. Further, many of my constituents have written and spoken with me about their frustration regarding the Trump administration’s attempts to undercut the work of the Special Counsel, as well as their concerns about the administration’s policies, from the mistreatment of migrant children at our border to the dismantling of crucial environmental protections to his proposal to bar transgender Americans from serving in uniform.

I understand and share these concerns and believe this is not how a president should conduct himself in office. In New Hampshire, we solve problems by respecting one another, genuinely listening, and working for the common good. I will continue to do things the Granite State way as I serve you in Washington. Whenever President Trump takes actions that threaten our institutions, our national security, our values of acceptance and inclusion, or the wellbeing of our families, I will work to hold him accountable. At the same time, I will continue to seek common ground with Republicans in Congress and the administration when it comes to the big challenges facing our state, including rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, combating the opioid epidemic, and bringing down the high cost of prescription drugs.

Please be assured that I remain committed to providing thorough oversight of President Trump's actions. Americans deserve a transparent, accountable government where no official is above the law. They deserve to know that their democracy is safe from outside meddling by Russia and other bad actors. Congress must continue to unpack this report, examine its findings, and determine how we can best move forward. As your representative in Congress, I will continue to stand up for the people of our state and our shared values as I work to ensure that our democracy truly works for all of us.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts on this important matter, and I look forward to keeping in touch. I strive to maintain an open dialogue with the people of New Hampshire about issues that matter to our state. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact my Washington, DC office at (202) 225-5456 or my Dover office at (603) 285-4300. I also encourage you to keep up with the work I am doing by signing up for my weekly update at https://pappas.house.gov/contact/newsletter.

Sincerely,

Member of Congress