Minnesota's Collin Peterson 1 Of 2 Democrats To Vote No On Impeachment Resolution
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) — Rep. Collin Peterson, who represents Minnesota 7th District, was one of two Democrats to vote no in Thursday's impeachment resolution vote.
The vote passed 232 to 196 in favor of impeachment in the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives. All Republicans voted against it.
Congressmen Peterson provided WCCO-TV with a statement regarding the vote:
"This impeachment process continues to be hopelessly partisan. I have been hearing from my constituents on both sides of this matter for months, and the escalation of calls this past week just shows me how divided our country really is right now. I have some serious concerns with the way the closed-door depositions were run, and am skeptical that we will have a process that is open, transparent and fair. Without support from Senate Republicans, going down this path is a mistake. Today's vote is both unnecessary, and widely misrepresented in the media and by Republicans as a vote on impeachment. I will not make a decision on impeachment until all the facts have been presented," Peterson said.
Peterson's 2020 opponent, former Lt. Governor Michelle Fischbach, spoke on the decision as well:
"Peterson said today that 'he will not make a decision on impeachment until all the facts have been presented.' Western Minnesotans deserve a representative who will work with President Trump and support his agenda, rather than one who enables an impeachment inquiry to remove President Trump from office," Fischbach said.
Besides Peterson, the other Democrat to vote against the resolution was Rep. Van Drew of New Jersey.
He added to that Thursday with a statement saying he has "some serious concerns with the way the closed-door depositions were run" and said he is "skeptical that we will have a process that is open, transparent and fair."
Peterson has long represented the sprawling northwest portion of Minnesota, though his victory margin has declined in recent years in the firmly conservative territory that went strongly for Trump in 2016. He's among more than 60 Democrats nationwide who have already been targeted by Republicans with ads critical of impeachment.
The move now clears the way for an impeachment probe of President Donald Trump. It begins to set the framework for an impeachment inquiry that will likely take months.
Minutes after the vote passed, the president responded on Twitter.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
