OHIO, USA — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the U.S. House of Representatives will launch a formal impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump Tuesday.
The inquiry comes in light of allegations that the president pressured the leader of Ukraine to investigate political opponent Joe Biden's family.
Later Tuesday evening, Kaptur released a statement in her capacity as Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus. She delivered a heavy-worded statement on the House floor saying she was "disgusted by President Trump's repeated betrayal of American interests."
She went on to criticize his actions to "coerce Ukranian President Zelensky - an allied leader - into helping him win reelection" by using American resources.
Kaptur previously came out in support of an impeachment inquiry on Sept. 12.
Other Ohio leaders responded to the inquiry on social media, including Senator Rob Portman, who called the inquiry a "distraction."
"The American people want us to get things done for them rather than focus on more and more partisan investigations," Portman said in a tweet. "The Democrats' impeachment inquiry will distract Congress from the bipartisan legislative work we should be doing to find solutions and deliver results for Americans."
"My focus will remain on working with my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, and with the Trump administration to strengthen our economy, expand retirement security, pass #USMCA to help Ohio farmers, workers and manufacturers, tackle the opioid crisis and pursue other priorities for Ohio," a second tweet from Portman read.
At the announcement on Capitol Hill Tuesday Speaker Pelosi said, "I can say with authority that the Trump administration's actions undermine" whistleblower laws meant to protect them. Pelosi went on to say in that President Trump asked the president of Ukraine to do something that would help him politically.
Pelosi announced that she has asked the House of Representatives for an official impeachment inquiry.
You can read Kaptur's full statement below:
“Like so many Americans, I’m disgusted by President Trump’s repeated betrayal of American interests in favor of Vladimir Putin’s. This President’s efforts to coerce Ukrainian President Zelensky — an allied leader — into helping him win reelection by using congressionally supported military aid as leverage is not only a dramatic betrayal of the President’s Oath of Office, it’s also the latest example of Trump doing Putin’s bidding.
Now, I am fairly certain President Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin didn’t start with his veiled support for Putin’s election meddling, or inviting the Russians to hack the DNC, or even lobbying for Russia to be readmitted to the G7. But this I know for sure, his efforts to betray the freedom loving people of a beleaguered Ukraine to advance his political fortunes is more than the American people are prepared to endure.
Who benefits when Ukraine loses military assistance? Russia: the country whose waged a bloody war in Ukraine for over five years, leaving 13,000 dead and 30,000 injured. Who’s to say Putin wasn’t listening in when Trump blackmailed Zelensky?
No member of Congress has traveled to Ukraine as many times as I, even long before the Berlin Wall fell. Trump cannot be allowed to break the laws of our county with impunity. The American people have looked on in horror as he has engaged in unprecedented levels of corruption and self-dealing.
If President Trump and his administration fail to comply with legitimate Congressional inquiries, then there is no other option than for this House to stand with our American allies and move forward with impeachment.”
