None of the U.S. House’s Republican delegates from Pennsylvania voted in favor of a second impeachment of President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
The impeachment, over the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, was not appropriate, said U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa.
“The violence at the U.S. Capitol last week was a gruesome and senseless display, and I remain hopeful President Trump will address the nation to encourage a peaceful transition for the swearing-in of President-Elect Biden on January 20th,” Thompson began.
“Emotions are running high and this has led to an impromptu article of impeachment, something the framers of our Constitution intended to be a deliberate process.”
Yet there hasn’t been an investigation, or hearings, he continued.
“We are seven days away from a new administration assuming the lead of our government,” Thompson said. “I do not believe impeachment is the appropriate course of action at this time and remain concerned that moving forward will only further sow seeds of division across the political landscape.”
While U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., did not make a comment regarding Wednesday’s vote, he has said in recent interviews that Trump must be impeached and convicted for inciting his followers to attack the Capitol.
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., called on Trump to resign last week.
“I stand by my statements over the last week regarding President Trump and the role he played in the deadly riot at the Capitol,” the senator said in a prepared statement Wednesday.
“President Trump will be out of office before a Senate impeachment trial can begin. Whether or not the Senate has the constitutional authority to hold an impeachment trial for a president that is no longer in office is debatable. Should the Senate conduct a trial, I will again fulfill my responsibility to consider arguments from both the House managers and President Trump’s lawyers.”
