In The News
House Democrats move toward punishing President Trump with a history-making second impeachment, they are also pressing ahead with a parallel effort to try to ensure that Mr. Trump’s four-year record of violating democratic and constitutional norms cannot be repeated. Mr. Trump’s term has revealed enormous gaps between the ideals of American democracy and the reality. Even before he incited a mob to attack the Capitol and the legislative branch of government, he ignored watchdog rulings and constitutional safeguards, pressed to overturn the outcome of an election, and pardoned those who covered for him, all while funneling taxpayer dollars to his family business. In response, lawmakers and pressure groups are pushing for a wide-ranging overhaul of ethics laws, the likes of which have not been seen since the post-Watergate era, hoping to reconstruct and strengthen the guardrails that Mr. Trump plowed through. “If anything, the events at the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday create even more urgency to swiftly reform the structural flaws in our democracy,” said Representative John P. Sarbanes, a Maryland Democrat who is leading the legislative effort. Among the changes embraced by House Democratic leaders are limits on the president’s pardon powers, mandated release of a president’s tax returns, new enforcement powers for independent agencies and Congress, and firmer prohibitions against financial conflicts of interest in the White House.... Two major pieces of legislation, the Protecting Our Democracy Act and H.R. 1, will be the main vehicles to address the sweep of questionable practices in the Trump era, which culminated in the president’s efforts to reverse the election outcome and provoke a riot to thwart the final electoral vote for President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. Last Tuesday, a provision in the Protecting Our Democracy Act, which would shield independent inspectors general from retaliation and help ensure that vacant watchdog slots are filled promptly, was pulled out and passed by the House by a bipartisan voice vote. As keen as Republicans may be to put limits on Mr. Biden’s presidency, they may not be so acquiescent to the Democrats’ broader bills if they are seen as a rebuke to Mr. Trump. But Democrats say they will press hard, especially in the wake of the Capitol’s desecration. “This president has exploited people’s fears in a way that is reckless and hugely damaging to our democracy and our society,” said Representative John P. Sarbanes, a Maryland Democrat who is leading the legislative effort. Congress, he added, must seek “ways of hardening our democracy against attacks from within and without.”
Much of Maryland’s Congressional delegation began pushing for the removal of President Donald Trump from office Thursday, issuing calls for his impeachment or the use of the 25th Amendment in the wake of a violent occupation of the U.S. Capitol that left four people dead. U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democrat representing Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, led the charge locally for impeachment, retweeting a message Thursday from Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline, announcing they were circulating articles of impeachment along with California Rep. Ted Lieu..... More than half of the state’s 10-member delegation joined officials across the county in calling for the president’s ouster by Thursday evening, a day after a previously unthinkable confrontation at the Capitol. Trump supporters stormed the building after the president encouraged a crowd rallying on the National Mall to oppose Congress’ certification of Electoral College votes. The crowd clashed with limited security on the building’s stairs and people forced their way inside, sending lawmakers into hiding and delaying the certification process by several hours.... Rep. John Sarbanes also favored Trump’s removal. The Democrat representing Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District said the president has “long demonstrated that he is unfit to hold the office.” “His recent statements culminating in yesterday’s thinly cloaked invitation to rioters to descend upon the U.S. Capitol punctuated just how dangerous the situation has become,” Sarbanes said in a statement Thursday. “It is now tragically clear that his continuation in office, even for the short time between now and Jan. 20, poses a threat to the safety and security of the United States.”
Rep. John P. Sarbanes (3rd District) On Twitter: “President Trump has long demonstrated that he is unfit to hold the office of the Presidency, but his recent statements culminating in yesterday’s thinly cloaked invitation to rioters to descend upon the U.S. Capitol punctuated just how dangerous the situation has become. It is now tragically clear that his continuation in office, even for the short time between now and January 20th, poses a threat to the safety and security of the United States. He should be removed – either by invocation of the 25th Amendment or by impeachment.”
Maryland Rep. John Sarbanes said Donald Trump, “has long demonstrated that he is unfit to hold the office of the Presidency, but his recent statements culminating in yesterday’s thinly cloaked invitation to rioters to descend upon the U.S. Capitol punctuated just how dangerous the situation has become.” Sarbanes said that “even for the short time between now and January 20th, he poses a threat to the safety and security of the United States. He should be removed—either by invocation of the 25th Amendment or by impeachment.”
Washington, DC is attempting to regroup after a mob of President Trump's supporters led a deadly storm of the U.S. Capitol. Maryland Congressman John Sarbanes was one of the lawmakers inside the complex when chaos erupted. He talks about what he saw, and how it felt.
Maryland Rep. John Sarbanes, a Democrat, who represents Maryland’s 3rd District, said he also sheltered in his office during the Capitol lockdown Wednesday afternoon. He said, “There’s no question there’s going to be an inquiry” into the security breakdown. Sarbanes said the breach of the Capitol was alarming to lawmakers. “We start from a place of thinking that it’s very secure, and to see the breach that occurred yesterday, I think, was quite jarring,” Sarbanes said. Sarbanes said he expects “hyper vigilance” from Congress about the use of the 25th Amendment or any “measures are that we have at our disposal to respond quickly if we see the need for it.” Sarbanes said he is also focused on the upcoming presidential transition and to “get Joe Biden and Kamala into the White House, where, I think, they can begin the very arduous task, but critical task of pulling our country together.”
A group of pro-Trump demonstrators breached the U.S. Capitol Wednesday afternoon as lawmakers were convened to certify the Electoral College votes from the 2020 presidential election, sending lawmakers into lockdown. Maryland lawmakers were among those ushered to safety as the protesters entered the Capitol building.... Inside his office on capitol grounds, Maryland Congressman John Sarbanes condemned the violence. “It was sad to see that happen,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve ever encountered something like this.”
Among the House-passed measures that stalled in the Senate was a political reform bill sponsored in 2018 — and again this year — by U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes, a Democrat who represents parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard and Montgomery counties, as well as a section of Baltimore City. The sweeping bill contains ethics reform, campaign finance reform and voting rights protections and was designed, Sarbanes said, to “drain the swamp” in a way GOP President Donald Trump has not. The legislation was reintroduced this week with an announcement by Sarbanes, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others with the unstated hope that the Senate would flip to Democrats who would approve the bill.
The U.S. Capitol is under lockdown. A mob seeking to overturn the results of the November 2020 presidential election breached the Capitol building Wednesday afternoon as Congress was set to certify President-elect Joseph R. Biden’s victory. Lawmakers were locked down, Vice President Mike Pence was moved to a secure location and The Associated Press was reporting that at least one person has been shot and taken to a hospital.... Rep. John Sarbanes tweeted at 7 p.m. that "the Capitol is now secure." He decried Trump's rhetoric and the actions of his supporters and said lawmakers would proceed with counting Electoral College votes.
A bill aimed at closing health disparities and honoring the medical contributions of Henrietta Lacks was signed into law. President Trump on Tuesday signed H.R. 1966, the “Henrietta Lacks Enhancing Cancer Research Act of 2019.” The measure requires the U.S. Government Accountability Office to complete a study on barriers to participation in federally funded cancer clinical trials by populations that have been traditionally underrepresented in such trials. The bill was sponsored by Maryland’s U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D) and Benjamin L. Cardin (D), as well as Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), who has sponsored the bill since the death of his predecessor Elijah E. Cummings, who originally championed the legislation. Co-sponsors include Maryland Congressmen C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D), John P. Sarbanes (D) and David J. Trone (D).