By Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois’ Congressional delegation appears to be split along party lines after the U.S. House announced articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.
Majority Democrats in the U.S. House announced two articles of impeachment they plan to vote on before the Christmas break – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Democrats say the president attempted to interfere in the 2020 election by pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political rival and not complying with requests for information from Congress.
While some Illinois representatives have already taken a position on the issues, Naperville Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster’s office said the Congressman will review the articles, but didn’t have an immediate response. U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, also said she’ll review the charges.
“From the beginning, I have made clear this search for the truth must be fair, evenhanded and unrushed,” Bustos said in a statement Tuesday. “We have seen the ways President Trump abused the power of his office and today’s announcement marks a somber day for our nation. As the work of the Judiciary Committee continues, I will review their findings with the gravity a moment like this demands.”
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, said this close to the 2020 election, Congress should take a step back.
“We ought to leave that up to the people to decide whether his conduct was wrong here and not 535 partisan members of Congress and that’s what we’ve done here,” LaHood said. “It’s very, very unfortunate that we’ve done that.”
Republicans have supported the president, which LaHood said showed the partisan nature of the effort.
“The only bipartisan thing that’s happened yet is when we voted to move the impeachment forward there were two Democrats with Republicans (against the impeachment inquiry),” LaHood said. “So, if anything, it’s bipartisan support showing that we shouldn’t move forward with impeachment.”
U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Chicago, said impeachment is the right decision.
“The time to impeach is now,” he wrote on Twitter. “No one is above the law.”
U.S. Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Chicago, retweeted a video of the news conference where the articles of impeachment announced that said: “Donald J. Trump must be impeached.”
House Intelligence Committee member U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Lakeview, said after the intelligence report was released to the Judiciary Committee last week that “the basic facts regarding the President’s abuse of power are not under dispute.”
Republicans have disputed the claims and said no fact witnesses proved Trump committed an impeachable offense.
The House Judiciary Committee could vote this week on the Articles of Impeachment. If approved by the whole House before Christmas break, the Senate could take up the question in January.
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