The U.S. House of Representatives voted 232 to 197 Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump for Incitement of Insurrection. Ten Republicans voted in favor of impeachment and four Republicans chose not to vote. All Democratic members of the House voted in favor.
The Louisiana Republican Congressional Delegation voted against impeachment, including Metairie Congressman Steve Scalise who said impeachment will only serve to further divide the nation.
“At times like these let us not reach out to our darkest demons, but instead seek the higher ground,” said Scalise who argued impeachment is pointless because the earliest the Senate could take up Trump’s trial would be January 20th, the day he leaves the Oval Office.
Scalise, who was shot in an act of political violence by a liberal in 2017, called out what he implied was his colleague’s hypocrisy over not condemning violent protests last year.
“I have seen the dark evil of political violence first hand, and it needs to stop, but all of us need to be unequivocal and call it out every time we see it,” said Scaliest.
The state’s lone Democratic Congressman, Cedric Richmond of New Orleans, says the President can’t be let off the hook this time.
“Stand up, man up, woman up, and defend this constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic, including Donald J. Trump,” said Richmond.
Richmond is set to depart the House for a role as a senior aide in the Biden Administration. He also accused, in his last speech on the floor, some of his Republican colleagues of being co-conspirators in the Capitol attack. He did not name any lawmakers by name.
Richmond laid out the Democrats case against the President.
“President Trump put the domestic terrorists on notice by saying stand back and stand by. He then summoned them to D.C., directed them to march on the Capitol, and then sat back and watched the insurrection,” said Richmond.
Northwest Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson did not speak on the floor but did release a statement.
“The shameful violence that occurred on the Capitol grounds January 6th demands a strong, unified Congressional response. This rushed, snap impeachment effort is the opposite of that. It involved no regular order or thoughtful deliberation, and is not helping to heal and unify our country—but further divide it. As President Trump himself has acknowledged, Joe Biden is the President-elect, and what America needs right now is an orderly and peaceful transfer of the immense power of the presidency from the Trump Administration to the Biden Administration. Launching impeachment articles at this point is not in the best interests of the nation.”
Southwest Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins, also not speaking on the floor, did the same.
“I do NOT support the removal of President Trump through impeachment nor the dubious ploy to invoke the 25th Amendment. These are acts of political vengeance and only serve to further divide our country.”
President Trump released a video late Wednesday afternoon denouncing all of his supporters who committed political violence on January 6th and asked them to remain peaceful at any upcoming protests. He did not address impeachment.
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