U.S. Reps. Elissa Slotkin, left, and Haley Stevens came forward with their support for an investigation into President Donald Trump's conversations with the Ukrainian president.
Two House Democrats who flipped districts in counties President Donald Trump won are taking the weekend to consider supporting articles of impeachment.
U.S. Reps. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, and Haley Stevens, D-Rochester Hills, have been under national scrutiny for supporting a House impeachment inquiry after months of opposing efforts to remove Trump from office. Both cited a need to safeguard the 2020 election and national security, but the freshmen congresswoman said they need more time to review the charges facing Trump.
Slotkin is expected to make her position public at a Monday, Dec. 16 town hall at Oakland University in Rochester. A spokesperson for Stevens said she is taking the weekend to consider the articles of impeachment and evidence gathered during weeks of testimony.
The two congresswomen, who in 2018 flipped districts formerly held by Republicans, have been under intense pressure from Republican Party officials at the state and national level. Slotkin said the phones have been ringing in her offices nonstop this week from constituents who support and denounce the impeachment effort.
“I’m going to do what I was trained to do as a CIA officer, I’m going to look at the full body of information,” Slotkin said. “I’m going to make an objective, clear-eyed decision. I’m not going to be bullied or pushed one way or another. I’m going to do what I was trained to do, which is to make a hard call on something, even if people don’t all love it, and that’s my intent.”
Stevens said she is keeping an “open mind” in a Dec. 11 interview with Politico, but said Americans can’t be divided on the rule of law.
“This is obviously a painful moment,” Stevens said.
House Democratic leaders unveiled two articles of impeachment against Trump on Tuesday. One accuses Trump of abusing his presidential power by urging Ukraine to investigate 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden while withholding military aid. The other accuses Trump of obstructing Congress’ efforts to investigate his actions.
The Judiciary Committee on Friday approved charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress on a party-line vote, sending the charges for consideration by the full House. Democratic leaders indicated the final vote on articles of impeachment is likely to come on Wednesday, Dec. 18, according to the Associated Press.
Democrats have the majority in the House, and likely have enough votes to impeach Trump without the support of Slotkin and Stevens. Michigan’s Republican members of Congress already made it clear they will not back the articles of impeachment.
The Republican-led Senate is likely to acquit Trump after a trial early next year.
Trump repeatedly said he did nothing wrong throughout the impeachment investigation. He criticized Democrats Friday for pursuing an “impeachment hoax," saying it could come back to bite them in 2020 elections.
“We’re dealing with a lot of corrupt people,” Trump said Friday. “There was nothing done wrong. To use the power of impeachment on this nonsense is an embarrassment to this country.”
Slotkin said she needs to take a few days to review all of the information revealed during the impeachment inquiry. She avoided weighing in while the probe was ongoing, saying she wanted to wait until all the facts were available.
“I just can’t be making decisions based off the latest drip of information, I need to sit down with the whole body of it,” Slotkin said. “I have, of course, read a bunch of things that have come out in real-time. But again, based on the way I was trained, you don’t take it piece by piece chronology chronologically. You sit together with the full body of information and consider it as a full story.”
A GOP nonprofit founded by former Trump campaign aides announced it will include Slotkin and Stevens in a $2 million ad blitz this week. America First Policies is targeting two dozen members of Congress who are expected to swing the vote on articles of impeachment later this month.
American Action Network also expanded its advertising campaign targeting Slotkin on the same day the Democrats unveiled articles of impeachment. The conservative nonprofit announced a $1.5 million advertising campaign targeting Democrats in 10 congressional districts and spent $500,000 to oppose Slotkin.
Republicans are planning a “no impeachment” rally in Bloomfield Hills on Saturday, Dec. 14.
“The Washington, D.C. swamp dwellers have crept to a new low with an ‘impeachment’ process that after years of ‘investigations’ has found no ‘crime’ and heard from no ‘fact witnesses,’” Marian Sheridan, co-founder of Michigan Trump Republicans, said in a statement. “Michigan will be a key state in 2020 and Michigan voters know when when they are being scammed."
Trump himself will visit Michigan on Wednesday, Dec. 18, for a campaign rally in Battle Creek. Vice President Mike Pence will visit Saginaw before attending the evening rally.
- Justin Thyme-Two cents worth of opinion. Have the blade sharp and ready for those DemocRats in swing districts!
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