Republican lawmakers, from left, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, ranking member of the Committee on Oversight Reform, and Rep. Lee Zeldin R-N.Y., arrive for a closed door meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, where former White House advisor on Russia, Fiona Hill, is scheduled to testify before congressional lawmakers as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
Russ Walker joined PA Post in 2019 as executive editor. He previously worked at KING 5 News, the NBC-affiliated TV station serving Seattle and Western Washington. At KING, Russ oversaw the award-winning investigative unit and managed the newsroom’s daily operations. His background includes stints as an editor for POLITICO, washingtonpost.com, FreedomChannel.com, American Health Line and U.N. Wire. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University. Russ and his wife, journalist and cookbook author Kim O’Donnel, live in Lancaster.
Andrew Harnik / AP Photo
Republican lawmakers, from left, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, ranking member of the Committee on Oversight Reform, and Rep. Lee Zeldin R-N.Y., arrive for a closed door meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, where former White House advisor on Russia, Fiona Hill, is scheduled to testify before congressional lawmakers as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
Pennsylvania’s 18 members of the House of Representatives are evenly divided by party — 9 Democrats and 9 Republicans.
So it’s no surprise that the Keystone lawmakers split evenly Thursday on the vote establishing rules for the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. (A new Franklin & Marshall poll suggests the same is true among voters.)
In the run up to the vote and in the hours after, several of the lawmakers used social media to explain and defend how they voted. Here’s a recap of their posts:
First, credit to Rep. Fred Keller (R-12th District), for speaking on the House floor on Thursday and getting video of his remarks uploaded to his YouTube page. Here’s what he said:
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-5th District) also spoke on the floor and posted her remarks to Twitter:
I am proud to cosponsor the resolution before us today. Our constitution requires it and our democracy depends on it. pic.twitter.com/8CTW7wQnU8
It is time for the American people to see and hear firsthand about the President’s misconduct. I support this resolution b/c there is too much at stake when a sitting President acts in a manner contrary to his oath of office and believes he is above the law. pic.twitter.com/jofi8m73Tq
After the vote, 8 of the 9 members of the GOP delegation from Pennsylvania issued a statement decrying the Demcrats’ impeachment effort. The missing one is Brian Fitzpatrick of the suburban Philadelphia-based 1st District:
Today, the House voted to establish rules for the next part of the impeachment inquiry into allegations of wrongdoing by @POTUS. I voted in favor of moving forward with this process – I believe my constitutional duty requires nothing less. https://t.co/5x3ZMwGUZy
Today, the House voted to establish rules for the next part of the impeachment inquiry into allegations of wrongdoing by @POTUS. I voted in favor of moving forward with this process – I believe my constitutional duty requires nothing less. https://t.co/5x3ZMwGUZy
Facing mounting criticism for this Soviet-style process, House Democrats produced H.Res. 660 under the guise of transparency. The American people won’t be fooled by their tricks. We must stand for true accountability & fairness. Anything less than a transparent process is a sham.
After weeks of Adam Schiff’s secret hearings & selective leaks, the Do-Nothing-Dems are trying to legitimize the unfair inquiry already underway. This resolution is a mirage – a false sense of fairness, transparency & due process. This sham contains none of those American values.
I will be voting a resounding NO today! Let THE PEOPLE choose the next leader of the free world. Do not dilute our democracy by allowing politicians to interfere in elections from their bubble in Washington, DC. #impeachmenthttps://t.co/3hEpbi1QgZ
Today’s vote on the impeachment resolution is a continuation of the farce that Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Schiff are trying to pull on America. They are trying to remove the people’s duly elected President with a biased, partisan process, and no information shared to the public. pic.twitter.com/kzwRzHS5BJ
1,064,243 jobs are in the balance as long as there is no action taken on #USMCA. House Republicans are ready to vote on the deal, but today, House Democrats are too busy playing politics to give those Americans peace of mind.
Today, I voted for a resolution to continue the impeachment investigation and present the proceedings before the American people. I am in full support of a transparent process. It is critical for our national security that we get to the truth. /1