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House Republicans Take New Action On Trump In Hopes Of Avoiding Impeachment

   DailyWire.com
US President Donald Trump speaks after touring a section of the border wall in Alamo, Texas on January 12, 2021.
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Several House Republicans introduced a measure on Tuesday to censure President Donald Trump and condemn what happened last week in what appears to be an attempt to stave off impeachment efforts from Democrats.

“Today, January 12th, 2020, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) and colleagues introduced a concurrent resolution to censure the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, for attempting to unlawfully overturn the 2020 Presidential election and for violating his oath of office on January 6th, 2021,” a statement from Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s (R-PA) office said. “In the aftermath of the riot at the Capitol last week, lawmakers have the solemn duty to accomplish two missions: hold the President fully and unequivocally accountable for his actions, and simultaneously calm and heal the fever-pitch tensions in our country.”

The statement noted how Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) supports censuring the president rather than taking more drastic measures and also notes recent remarks from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who said that the move to impeach Trump was “ill advised.”

“Moreover, both Democrat and Republican Members of the U.S. Senate are convinced that the House’s impeachment efforts will almost certainly result in a second acquittal of President Trump, which would even further divide and inflame tensions in our nation,” the statement added. “There are two constitutional purposes of impeachment: 1) removal from office, and 2) barring the future holding of office. The current approach being advanced by House leadership is certain to accomplish neither one of these.”

The resolution censures and condemns Trump for the events on January 6, 2021, and calls on Congress to publicly call out Trump for his actions and to recognize that Democrat Joe Biden is the president-elect.

Republican members gave the following statements on the resolution:

  • Fitzpatrick: “President Trump’s attempts to undermine the outcome of the 2020 election have been unconscionable. The combination of a false information campaign coupled with inflammatory rhetoric led to the devastation that I was a personal witness to on the House Floor on January 6th. His actions threatened the integrity of our democracy, Congress, and his own Vice President. For months, President Trump has been lying to the American people with false information, and giving his supporters false expectations. The election is over. Joe Biden will be sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th, 2021. President Trump’s actions, behavior, and language are unacceptable and unbecoming of the office he holds for the next eight days.”
  • Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY): “This is an important step to hold the President accountable. Congress must make clear that it rejects extremism and condemns the President’s actions. We will continue to push for Congressional leaders to work with us on investigating the events surrounding this dark period in our history and make sure it never happens again with the public’s trust in our democratic institutions restored.”
  • Rep. Young Kim (D-CA): “The violence that our nation witnessed on Wednesday was abhorrent and resulted in an assault on law enforcement, lives lost and many more put in danger. These rioters must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The president also misled many Americans to believe that the outcome of the election could change on January 6th, when that simply was not true, and must held accountable for his role. I believe censuring the president after his actions helps hold him accountable and could garner wide bipartisan support, allowing the House to remain united during some of our nation’s darkest days. I’m proud to join Rep. Fitzpatrick and others in introducing this resolution today. Like many of my colleagues, I came to Washington promising to bridge the divide. I hope both parties can acknowledge our role in perpetuating division and come together to support this effort and move forward for our constituents and the nation.”
  • Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI): “A peaceful transfer of power from one presidential administration to the next is the bedrock of the American republic. Last Wednesday that bedrock was almost destroyed. President Donald Trump must be held accountable for his actions, and a censure is appropriate.”

This report has been updated to include additional information.

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