Ohio Capital Journal
Ohio’s 16 members of Congress are split down party lines in whether or not they support the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
As the House Judiciary Committee continues to hold public hearings ahead of a chamber-wide vote, the Ohio delegation’s four Democratic members have made clear they support the ongoing impeachment inquiry. The 12 Republicans all voted against the inquiry in late October, and many of them have since criticized the proceedings in various committee hearings, interviews and social media posts.
A total of six committees have been involved in the impeachment investigation — Judiciary, Financial Services, Intelligence, Ways and Means, Foreign Affairs and Oversight.
Here is a rundown of what the 16 members of Congress have said about the inquiry, with relevant committee assignments highlighted.
5th District — Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, against the inquiry.
“As the majority charges full speed ahead in their attempt to overturn the 2016 election, we must stand strong for what is just and fair.”
9th District — Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, for the inquiry.
“The passage of this (impeachment inquiry) resolution will allow the American people to view public-hearings and discover firsthand the abuses of power carried out by President Trump and his Administration, in addition to any attempts to cover them up.”
1st District — Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati, against the inquiry. He is a member of the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs committees
“Democrats in the House are abandoning any semblance of bipartisanship and undermining due process in their hyper-partisan quest for impeachment.”
2nd District — Brad Wenstrup, R-Cincinnati, against the inquiry. He is a member of the House Intelligence and Ways and Means committees.
“After reviewing the (Intelligence Committee’s impeachment report) today, I don’t think America is ready to bow to Adam Schiff’s superior imagination … there’s nothing impeachable here.”
3rd District — Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus, for the inquiry. She is a member of the House Financial Services Committee.
“We are a nation of laws, but right now we have a person in the Oval Office who believes he is above the law and that government serves his political whims.”
4th District — Jim Jordan, R-Lima, against the inquiry. He is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and serves as the ranking member of the Oversight Committee.
“They’ve never accepted the fact that 63 million Americans voted to make Donald Trump president of the United States … They’re out to get him.”
6th District — Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, against the inquiry.
“(Democrats’) goal is to remove the President from office and disenfranchise the 63 million Americans who voted for him (sic), and they don’t really care how they do it.”
7th District — Bob Gibbs, R-Avon, against the inquiry. He is a member of the House Oversight Committee.
“(Democrats’) impeachment is a partisan stunt. The American people deserve better.”
8th District — Warren Davidson, R-Troy, against the inquiry. He is a member of the House Financial Services Committee.
“You see in the Finance Services Committee a fishing expedition for all of Donald Trump, Trump’s organization and family members’ bank records. Not because of probably cause for a concern of a crime that was committed, but an endless quest to find a crime because of personal animus. That is a horrible precedent.”
10th District — Michael Turner, R-Dayton, against the inquiry. He is a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
“…there really is no case here. And yet, the Democrats are still going to proceed to impeach this president.”
11th District — Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights, for the inquiry. She was also involved in an effort to impeach Trump back in 2017.
“In the nearly 300 days since he was sworn in, it has become evident that President Trump is a clear and present danger to our democracy.” (Quote from 2017.)
12th District — Troy Balderson, R-Zanesville, against the inquiry.
“As I’ve always stated, I believe in full transparency. These allegations about the president are serious and concerning, and at this moment we don’t have all the facts.”
13th District — Tim Ryan, R-Niles, for the inquiry.
“President Trump is a mobster. We must impeach.”
14th District — David Joyce, R-Russell Twp., against the inquiry.
“I think the impeachment thing is not going to be helpful to getting much done between now and November 2020, which is a shame because we have some serious issues that we need to address.”
15th District — Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington, against the inquiry.
“The first step must be to get all the facts, and the release of the full transcripts of President Trump’s conversation with Ukrainian President Zelensky will allow just that. Until then, I think any further steps would be premature.”
16th District — Anthony Gonzalez, R-Rocky River, against the inquiry.
“I refuse to support an impeachment inquiry that robs the president and House Republicans of due process and is conducted solely at the discretion of the Democratic majority.”
If a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives votes for impeachment, a trial against Trump will begin in the U.S. Senate. Here is where Ohio’s two senators stand:
Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman indicated he would vote no.
“From what I’ve seen so far, I don’t see the evidence that leads to an impeachable offense.”
Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown indicated he would support impeachment but is unsure whether or not he would vote to remove Trump from office.
“That oath says to do this the proper way. And the proper way is to judge based on the evidence,” Brown said. “I want to hear the evidence. I want to see what the President says in his defense.”
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