Pennsylvania’s Republicans and Democrats split on impeachment

HARRISBURG, PA. » Like they did in 2019, Pennsylvania’s members of the U.S. House again split down party lines on Wednesday on impeaching President Donald Trump.

All nine Democrats voted a second time to impeach Trump, while all nine Republicans voted against impeaching Trump.

Eight of those Republicans — John Joyce, Fred Keller, Mike Kelly, Dan Meuser, Scott Perry, Guy Reschenthaler, Lloyd Smucker and Glenn Thompson — fell in line with Trump in trying in Congress and in court to overturn Trump’s loss in Pennsylvania to Presidentelect Joe Biden.

They also amplified baseless theories about fraudsters stealing the election from Trump or about state judges and officials breaking election laws.

The ninth, Brian Fitzpatrick, who represents a suburban Philadelphia district that supported Biden, accused Trump of “unconscionable” efforts to overturn the election, and fomenting a false information campaign and inflammatory rhetoric that led to the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week.

“His actions threatened the integrity of our democracy, Congress, and his own Vice President,” Fitzpatrick wrote.

However, Fitzpatrick instead pushed for passage of a bicameral resolution to condemn Trump for trying to overturn the election and accuse him of violating his oath of office.

The resolution would let Biden govern effectively and be more appropriate, since the U.S. Senate is likely to acquit Trump, Fitzpatrick said.