The two Republican Congressmen representing Centre County have issued statements denouncing the formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday.
Rep. Fred Keller, whose 12th district includes most of the State College and Penns Valley areas, accused Democrats of continuing efforts to ‘delegitimize‘ Trump’s presidency.
“Engaging in an ‘impeachment inquiry’ is code word for continuing the type of costly investigations that have led this nation down an empty rabbit hole time and again,’ Keller said. ‘Ever since the 2016 election results came in, Democrats and never-Trumpers have been determined at any cost to delegitimize our duly elected President. Enough is enough. The American people are tired of this charade. It’s time for Congress to focus on real action on legislation that would benefit the American people.”
Rep. Glenn Thompson, whose district includes the rest of Centre County, similarly alleged Democrats were maligning Trump because they are unhappy that he won the 2016 election.
“Speaker Pelosi may have formally announced an impeachment inquiry yesterday, but it’s clear this stunt began on January 20, 2017,’ Thompson said. ‘There are some in Congress who simply cannot accept the outcome of the presidential election. You heard collusion, conspiracy, and doing away with the electoral college. Now you’re going to hear impeachment, term limits for the Supreme Court, and other socialist ideas with the only goal of winning elections. What we’re not hearing are the best and brightest ideas on how to better the lives of everyday people who are just trying to get a leg up, support their families, and live in safe communities.”
The inquiry, in part, is looking at whether Trump abused his office by pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Prior to the phone call with Zelensky, Trump ordered a hold on military aid to Ukraine, though the president contends the aid was not used as leverage. Trump said he discussed Biden, but that the conversation was appropriate.
Pelosi said that if Trump sought a foreign government’s help to undermine a political opponent, it would be ‘a betrayal of his oath of office.’
A whistler blower complaint was brought to the intelligence community Inspector General, who classified it as being of ‘urgent concern.’ The administration has blocked release of the complaint, but has said it will release a redacted version. On Wednesday a memorandum summarizing the call released by the White House showed Zelensky requesting increased military assistance with Trump responding ‘I would like you to do us a favor though,’ which in part included investigating allegations of corrupt dealings involving the Bidens in Ukraine.
Trump also said his personal attorney Rudolph Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr would call Ukrainian officials.
Pennsylvania’s Republican U.S. Senator Pat Toomey claimed the summary showed no impeachable offense occurred.
“The memorandum released by the White House today reveals no quid pro quo,’ Toomey said. ‘While the conversation reported in the memorandum relating to alleged Ukrainian corruption and Vice President Biden’s son was inappropriate, it does not rise to the level of an impeachable offense.”
Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey issued a lengthy statement supporting the impeachment inquiry.
‘The recent revelation that President Trump pressured a foreign government to investigate his political opponents is a textbook case of abuse of power which demands action,’ Casey said. ‘In order to hold President Trump fully accountable, I support a formal impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives.
‘My concerns about the President’s conduct have grown over months, particularly as I thoroughly reviewed Special Counsel Mueller’s report. President Trump’s most recent actions with regard to Ukraine have created new urgency to take action. Given this clear abuse of power, I believe I have an obligation to outline the conduct, both during the Russian investigation and the Ukraine matter, that is within the well-established definition of the ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ that the Senate would consider in an impeachment trial.’
