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Area Reps. to vote with parties

With the U.S. House of Representatives set to decide whether to impeach President Donald Trump next week, the three House members representing Butler County announced their planned votes.

The three elected officials said in official statements that they will vote along party lines. Republicans Mike Kelly, R-16th, and Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-15th, both denounced the impeachment inquiry and said they would vote against both articles of impeachment under consideration.

Conor Lamb, D-17th, said he will vote for both articles.

“The facts are clear — the president withheld weapons from the Ukrainians, even though Congress agreed that the weapons were needed to fight the Russians,” Lamb said in an official statement. “Instead of using his office to oppose Russian aggression, the president used it to oppose his political opponent. This served his personal interests, but not our national security interests. The president has admitted these facts and refuses to acknowledge that he did anything wrong.”

Thompson, on the other hand, argued the evidence against President Donald Trump isn't enough for him.

“After considering all of the information presented, I have only heard emotional arguments that do not rise to the level of impeachment,” Thompson said. “Therefore, I will not vote in favor of the articles of impeachment.”

Lamb's announcement sparked anger from the White House. Meghan Burris, White House Director of Media Affairs, sent a statement to media accusing Lamb of joining “(House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and the progressive Democrats in their baseless impeachment sham.”

“As a candidate, Conor Lamb said, 'It's time that our leaders in Washington do the work we send them there to do,'” Burris said. “I think it's clear the voters did not send Conor Lamb to Washington to impeach President Trump, but like a typical partisan politician, he's doing it anyway.”

Kelly and Thompson have been unified in opposing the impeachment effort.

“Democrats have made it crystal clear all along that this impeachment inquiry isn't about protecting the Constitution or upholding their oath of office,” Kelly said Friday. “This is about political vengeance and damaging the president ahead of the 2020 election.”

Trump is facing two articles of impeachment: one for abusing his power and the other for obstructing Congress.

Advocates for the two articles believe Trump's request for Ukraine to investigate presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, was an abuse of power, as military aid to the country was withheld seemingly in conjunction with the request.

The second article alleges that Trump attempted to limit and impede the impeachment inquiry itself.

The House Judiciary Committee approved both articles Friday, setting up a full House vote next week.

If impeached, the articles would be sent to the U.S. Senate, which could vote to remove the president.

Trump would be just the third president impeached in American history, the other two being Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Richard Nixon resigned before the full House impeached him.

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