The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Impeachment hearings not on state GOP agenda
The House Intelligence Committee hearings might be transfixing some segments of the public, as Congress seems on track to impeach President Donald Trump. But Connecticut GOP lawmakers are generally giving the historic proceedings a pass.
Republican members of the General Assembly say they are focused on their fulltime jobs outside the state Capitol and their parttime legislative obligations.
They’re paying less attention to the testimony of Trump administration officials, including Ambassador Gordon Sondland who on Wednesday offered knowledge of Trump’s alleged pressure on Ukraine to announce investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter’s business dealings in that conflicted Eastern European country.
House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, RDerby, said she’s been aware of the hearings mostly as “background noise,” but believes it is serious and must be done in a “fair and judicious manner.”
“I haven’t even paid attention to it,” said state Rep. Vincent Candelora, RNorth Branford, deputy minority leader. “Globally we’re at an unfortunate time in politics. Proceed
ings like this are unfortunate regardless of party, and we certainly need to return not just civil times, but more cooperative times. The general public doesn’t care.”
State Rep. William Petit, RPlainville, is another who is not closely following the impeachment hearings, and said that he has not heard much discussion about it in his district, which includes part of New Britain.
“I’m following it peripherally and keeping busy on local issues,” Petit said. “I’m not reading every article. I think getting the facts out are important. The Senate will probably acquit [Trump]. People want to talk about schools and transportation and opioids and things like that,” Petit said, adding impeachment could be an issue next year as elections heat up.
State Rep. Charles Ferraro, RWest Haven, said that while he’s not paying much attention to the hearings, he doesn’t believe the president’s actions rise to the level of an impeachable offenses.
“I don’t see high crimes
and misdemeanors,” Ferraro said. “I think the process is highly political. But it should work through the House. It’s more than likely they will impeach him. I don’t think they will get the votes in the Senate. I think it’s a waste of taxpayer dollars. To be honest, I’m not watching. I’m involved in activities around the state. I have not had time to follow it. It’s above my pay grade.”
State Rep. David Wilson, RLitchfield, said he’s also too busy to watch the hearings. “I have all I can do to keep track of what’s happening in my district,” Wilson said. “I don’t know there is any impact in my district. It’s all political gamesmanship. I think its disruptive to everything that’s going on and takes our focus away from where we should be concentrating in taking care of the country,” Wilson said. “I’ll say I reserve opinion about Trump.”
State Rep. Steve Harding, RBrookfield, is another who’s not watching. “It doesn’t involve state issues and my attention remains on helping people in my district,” Harding said. “I try to pay attention to what goes on the state. I’m not too focused on what goes on in D.C.”
State Sen. George Logan, RAnsonia, said he’s interested in the hearings but has not had time to follow them live or formed an opinion on them. Like many other Republicans, he said he’s focused on state issues — and his job as a department director at Aquarion, the water company. On weekends, Logan said, he has time to catch up with the national news but he does not feel pressure to say anything about Trump.
Republican State Central Chairman J.R. Romano, however, through his Twitter account, has been hammering at Democrats over the issue, focusing on Hunter Biden’s role in a controversial energy company in Ukraine.
“At the end of the day, Democrats are ignoring the fact that Hunter Biden was paid by a corrupt company,” Romano said in a Wednesday phone interview. “The Democrats have been calling for any way to remove Donald Trump for three years now,” Romano said. He noted that while President Barack Obama offered humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Trump provided antitank rockets to combat the Russian incursion, which began nearly six years ago.
Meanwhile, Romano said that Congress is ignoring a new trade deal with Canada and Mexico that could mean billions of dollars in Connecticut exports. “This is about Democrats satisfying their mostfringe supporters to keep them active and donating,” Romano said.
State Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, RNorth Haven, agreed Wednesday that the hearings, now in their second week, are interfering with important legislation that seems stifled in Congress under the weight of the political drama.
“My approach is they can do what they want to do but they have an obligation to govern,” Fasano said, stressing the need to foster the economy and battle opioid abuse. “If they want to do this impeachment, it’s their right. You were hired to govern. You have to be able to multitask and still govern. I hope voters see the way it is.”