2 Washington Republicans Join Democrats In Voting For Impeachment

Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler spoke on the U.S. House floor on Jan. 6, 2021, after the mob attack on the Capitol, arguing against objections to the Electoral College certification in Congress. CREDIT: CSPAN/Screenshot
Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler spoke on the U.S. House floor on Jan. 6, 2021, after the mob attack on the Capitol, arguing against objections to the Electoral College certification in Congress. CREDIT: CSPAN/Screenshot

READ ON

BY ANNA KING & SCOTT LEADINGHAM

The U.S. House voted 232 to 197 Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump for a second time.

Democrats were joined by 10 congressional Republicans – including two from Washington state.

Jaime Herrera Beutler, who represents southwest Washington in the 3rd District, joined Dan Newhouse, who represents central Washington in the 4th District. Washington’s other Republican member, Cathy McMorris Rodgers of the 5th District, voted against impeachment.

ALSO SEE: Impeachment Now. What Happens Next?

In a floor speech Wednesday, Herrera Beutler said, “I see that my own party will be best served when those among us choose truth. I believe President Trump acted against his oath of office, so I will vote to impeach him.”

In a statement ahead of the vote, Newhouse said of Trump’s role in last week’s riot that, “Turning a blind eye to this brutal assault on our Republic is not an option.”

Both of Idaho’s Republican House members, Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson, voted against, as did Oregon’s sole Republican member of Congress, newly elected Rep. Cliff Bentz. He was one of 139 House members who formally objected to certifying the Electoral College vote last week after the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Except for 10 Republicans, the impeachment vote came on party lines. The highest-ranking Republican to vote in favor was Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who chairs the House GOP conference. Cheney is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Related Stories:

U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler on Election Night in Vancouver, Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018.

After Speaking Out, Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler Heads Toward Clash With Her Own Party

Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler thrust herself into the national spotlight on Friday when the Washington Republican came out with a stunning account of Donald Trump’s actions on the day of the Capitol insurrection. In a statement put out on the eve of the vote in Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, Herrera Beutler said that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told her that in a conversation with the then-president on Jan. 6, Trump appeared to side with the mob, telling him the rioters were “more upset about the election than you are.”

Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump - Senate floor - February 9, 2021

Senate Votes 57-43 On Impeachment Charge, Not Enough To Convict; 7 GOP Vote ‘Guilty’

A majority of senators voted to convict Trump — 57 to 43, including seven Republicans. But two-thirds, or 67 votes, is needed to convict. It was the second time Trump was acquitted in an impeachment trial. The seven GOP senators who voted to convict Trump Saturday were: Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump - Senate floor - February 9, 2021

How To Watch, What To Know: Your Guide To The Impeachment Trial Of Donald Trump

We have a special place in history. Never have Americans been so experienced in presidential impeachment as we. Two impeachments in just more than a single year. Nonetheless, experience does not yield understanding. Impeachment is a rare and confusing process. This is just the fourth presidential impeachment in history. And each impeachment process and set of arguments is slightly or dramatically different from the last.