Senate President Steve Sweeney’s (D-3) Thursday statement on the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump:

“This is a solemn but fateful event in the nation’s history. At stake is more than the political  fate of Donald Trump, it is the rule of law, the balance of power and the constitutional authority of Congress to exercise its legislative responsibility to act as a check on the executive branch of government.

“I believe that President Trump has violated his oath of office and should be impeached.

“I support the vote by the House of Representatives and I praise the decisions by New Jersey’s Congressional Democrats to take a stand with the majority of their colleagues. This wasn’t just a vote of conscience, it was a vote of accountability for the President and Congress.

“The President is not above the law, he is not free to abuse the power of the Office of the President, and he should not be allowed to defy the legitimate will of Congress as a co-equal branch of government. The damage to our system of checks and balances will be long-lasting if the President’s ability to stonewall Congress goes unchecked.

“We have to defend the principles of our democracy from attacks both foreign and domestic. It is unfortunate but necessary that the President be impeached in defense of our constitutional standards.”