By Dave Lemery |
The Center Square
Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., speaks Dec. 18, 2019, as the House of Representatives debates the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump at the Capitol in Washington. House Television via AP
As the U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump, Pennsylvania\’s delegation stuck to party lines when casting their individual votes.
With the 18-member delegation split evenly between the two political parties, the state\’s nine Democrats voted in favor of the articles of impeachment and the nine Republicans voted against.
In both comments from the floor of the House and on social media, a number of lawmakers made their arguments justifying their decisions.
“It\’s with profound sadness that I stand here today in support of these articles of impeachment,” Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, a Democrat, said during the debate. “President Trump\’s behavior is exactly what our founders feared most. They knew that with the awesome power of the presidency came the risk of a president abusing that power for personal gain. They were particularly concerned about an executive who became entangled with foreign governments, corrupted our elections, or sought to avoid consequences for his own misconduct in office.”
While Scanlon argued that the president’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was evidence of a “high crime” as defined in the U.S. Constitution, Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican, saw exactly the opposite.
“Abuse of power? Not according to the Ukraine,” Meuser said during his floor remarks. “President Zelensky confirmed many times that there was no quid pro quo, no action taken, and significant military aid was delivered without anything in return. Of course, his words have been conveniently dismissed.”
To Meuser, the impeachment effort marked a concerted effort by the Democratic Party to overturn the will of the voters at a time when Trump’s policies are bearing fruit.
“Our communities are benefiting greatly from President Trump\’s agenda – a booming economy, secure border, better trade deals, and a stronger military,” he said. “Unfortunately, inside the halls of Congress, Democrats\’ obsession with impeachment is all-consuming.”
Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Democrat, insisted that the president’s crimes were so self-evident that there was no need to lay out a case.
“Ultimately, the matter before us today is not a question of fact, for the evidence is undisputed,” he said during House debate. “Nor is it a question of law, as the Constitution is clear. The heart of the matter is this: Will members of this House have the courage to choose fidelity to the Constitution over loyalty to their political party?”
Republican Guy Reschenthaler said the entire impeachment process was more about the 2020 election than anything that had taken place during the president’s term.
published here with permission of The Center Square