Joe Kennedy mentions kids in impeachment address

Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) read an open letter to his two children — James and Eleanor — during his floor remarks Wednesday in the impeachment debate.

“Dear Ellie and James,” Kennedy began in a speech Wednesday morning. “This is a moment that you’ll read about in your history books.”

“Today, I will vote to impeach the president of the United States,” he continued. “And I want you to know why.”

Dem. Rep. Joe Kennedy addresses his children in remarks on impeachment: “Dear Ellie and James: This is a moment that you’ll read about in your history books. Today, I will vote to impeach the president of the United States. And I want you to know why.” https://t.co/FSKRPsJV7d pic.twitter.com/JvlRXSJzuf

— ABC News (@ABC) December 18, 2019

Kennedy echoed one of House Democrats’ main talking points for the impeachment proceedings: “[Trump] abused the highest, most sacred office in our land.”

“Let the record show that today, justice won. We did our job,” the Massachusetts congressman said toward the end of his 80-second address. “We kept our word. We stood our sacred ground. We did not let you down.”

Kennedy wasn’t the only House Democrat Wednesday morning whose remarks centered around their children.

In her explanation of why she was voting to impeach the president, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) noted that she tells her children that their actions have consequences.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said that she wants her daughter to be able to tell her children that “Grandma did the right thing.”

The House was debating a rule for the floor debate on impeachment on Wednesday morning. They are expected to debate the two articles of impeachment for much of the afternoon before votes on each article this evening.