Comptroller Dan Hynes today released the following statement on the impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich:

I applaud today's vote by the Illinois House of Representatives to impeach Governor Rod Blagojevich and urge him to resign as quickly as possible so that state government can more fully focus on the very pressing budgetary problems we are facing.

While I am saddened by the need for this historic action, I am also optimistic that under new leadership, there will be a renewed commitment to responsible governance.

We must start by honestly dealing with a growing budget deficit, declining revenues and mounting job losses during this recession. It will be a task that requires leadership and bipartisanship.