By staff and wire reports
President Donald Trump was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday night, becoming only the third American chief executive to be formally charged under the Constitution’s ultimate remedy for high crimes and misdemeanors.
The historic vote split along party lines, much the way it has divided the nation, over a charge that the 45th president abused the power of his office by enlisting a foreign government to investigate a political rival ahead of the 2020 election. The House then approved a second charge, that he obstructed Congress in its investigation.
The votes cast by the Valley’s representatives in Congress also split along party lines with Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, voting in favor of impeachment and Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters Township, voting against.
In a statement, Doyle said he was voting to impeach Trump because he abused the power of his office and refused to comply with congressional subpoenas.
“The evidence is clear, the law is clear and our Constitution is clear,” Doyle said. “In the interests of national security, our democracy and the rule of law, I strongly support impeachment, and I believe that if Senators weigh the overwhelming and uncontested evidence as unbiased jurors, they will vote to convict and remove President Trump from office.”
Reschenthaler couldn’t disagree more strongly. The Republican, who is seated on the House Committee on the Judiciary, said he believes Democrats are terrified Trump will win re-election and he feels the impeachment is nothing more “than a political hit job.”
“House Democrats can’t beat President Trump on the merits, so today they’re caving to their far-left base and using the thoughts and feelings of unelected bureaucrats, instead of relying on facts of law, to impeach a duly elected president,” Reschenthaler said.
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