Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick voted with his Republican colleagues against a resolution to layout the process for the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 232 to 196 to set out the process for the impeachment inquiry.
Fitzpatrick’s office confirmed to NewtownPANow.com and other media outlets in the days leading up to the vote that the congressman was likely to vote against the resolution.
Credit: Staff Sgt. Aaron Knowles/U.S. Army
In the weeks leading up to the vote, Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Middletown, said he supported a law enforcement investigation into allegations against president. He stressed that he wanted the facts about the claims that Trump pressured the president of the Ukraine to have his government investigate political rival former Vice President Joe Biden and his son.
“We do need to get to the bottom of this,” Fitzpatrick said earlier this month.
The congressman was on The Dom Giordano Program on 1210 WPHT-AM Wednesday and said he thought the process proposed in Thursday’s resolution was “flawed” and Democrats were selectively leaking information to the press.
“The most significant thing we can do in the House is declare war and to send somebody’s children into battle. Right beneath that is to impeach a president and overturn the results of an election,” he said. “The process should be taken very seriously and very somberly. And it’s not. It is very partisan and political, and it’s very disappointing to see.”
“We are taking this step to eliminate any doubt as to whether the Trump administration may withhold documents, prevent witness testimony, disregard duly authorized subpoenas, or continue obstructing the House of Representatives,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter this week to Democratic lawmakers
The House of Representatives Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees have already heard closed-door testimony from government officials, including those picked by Trump, about the administration’s dealing with Ukraine.
The president and his administration have shifted their story since a whistleblower came forward in September but stuck with the main message that the impeachment process is being pushed by Democrats who solely want Trump removed from office. The president has called the allegations against him a “hoax” and said he did nothing wrong.
If the impeachment process continues to move forward, the House would hold hearings on the matter. A trial would take place in the Senate. If the president is found guilty by the Senate, he would be removed from office and Vice President Mike Pence would become president. If the Senate acquits him, Trump would remain in office.
