Area politicians split on Dems’ decision to open Trump impeachment inquiry
Observer-Reporter
U.S. Rep Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters Township, said Wednesday he was not in favor of Democrats in the House opening an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
Amy Fauth/For the Observer-Reporter
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said Wednesday he believes President Donald Trump abused his power, causing Democrats in House to open an impeachment inquiry.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey contended Wednesday President Donald Trump abused his power, urging lawmakers to act.
“I support a formal impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives,” Casey, D-Lackawanna County, said. “My concerns about the president’s conduct have grown over months, particularly as I thoroughly reviewed Special Counsel (Robert) Mueller’s report.”
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives announced it would begin an official impeachment inquiry, with Democrats alleging the president abused his power by seeking help from Ukraine’s president to undermine former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nod.
Trump repeatedly pushed Ukraine’s president to “look into” Biden, according to a rough transcript of a summer phone call that is now at the center of Democrats’ impeachment probe.
Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to work with Attorney General William Barr and Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer.
At one point in the conversation, Trump said, “I would like for you to do us a favor.”
“If the House votes to impeach the president, I would be required as a U.S. Senator to vote in a Senate trial that would determine whether the president should be convicted and removed from office,” Casey said. “Should such a situation arise, I will keep an open mind. However, at this time, I cannot ignore the public evidence which has confronted all of us.”
U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters Township, who represents Fayette, Washington and Greene counties, released a statement on the formal impeachment inquiry late Tuesday, calling it a sad day for our democracy.
“Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi’s decision to begin a formal impeachment inquiry based on secondhand allegations shows just how desperate the Democrats are to undo the will of the American people,” Reschenthaler said. “Calling for impeachment before learning the facts sets a dangerous precedent and shows that once again, House Democrats are putting political theater before the needs of the American people.”
U.S. Senator Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh County, also released a statement on the matter, saying he has repeatedly contended a candidate for federal office seeking assistance from a foreign government would be inappropriate.
The first step toward impeachment is taken by the House, which debates and votes on whether to bring charges. This can be done by a simple majority of the House’s 435 members.
If the House adopts an impeachment resolution, the Senate then holds a trial, with the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court presiding. A two-thirds majority vote is required in the Senate to convict and remove a president.
Only 20 government officers in all, including presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, have been impeached, and only eight of them, all federal judges with lifetime tenure, have been convicted and removed from office.
Richard Nixon resigned to avoid being impeached in the Watergate scandal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.