Fred Upton: "Congress must hold President Trump to account." (Photo: Twitter)
GOP Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) is the first of his party's Michigan delegation to say he'll vote to impeach Donald Trump on Wednesday.
Newly sworn-in Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids) said he's "strongly considering."
Upton's stance is a big deal because he's an "institutional Repubican," as prominent Washington journalist Jake Sherman tweets Wednesday morning. He "was elected in 1986 and was once the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee," adds the former Politico editor, who co-founded a new political news site called Punchbowl.
Upton announced his decision in a statement Tuesday night as four other Republican representatives from around the country promised the same.
The Congress must hold President Trump to account and send a clear message that our country cannot and will not tolerate any effort by any President to impede the peaceful transfer of power from one President to the next. Thus, I will vote to impeach. pic.twitter.com/NqxyoB4ncv
— Fred Upton #WearYourMask (@RepFredUpton) January 13, 2021
Meijer, meanwhile, on Monday told Grand Rapids TV station Fox 17: "When it comes to impeachment, it’s something we’re strongly considering at this point.
Rep. Peter Meijer of Grand Rapids (Photo: Facebook)
"There are timelines and other considerations and additional information that I want to have before making that decision affirmatively, but, again, I think what we saw on Wednesday left the president unfit for office.”
Meijer later told CNN his "break" came last Wednesday, as pro-Trump rioters were in the midst of storming the Capitol and "the one person who could tamp down the rhetoric, the one person who could have put an end to that violence, the president, he put out that video that said 'we love you, you're special. Come home.'"
I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that the President of the United States was completely MIA while the next three individuals in the line of succession (VP, Speaker of House, Senate Pres Pro Tempore) were under assault in the Capitol. Unconscionable.
— Rep. Peter Meijer (@RepMeijer) January 11, 2021
There are seven Republicans representing Michigan in Congress. Three — Reps. Lisa McClain of Bruce Township in Macomb County, Jack Bergman of the Upper Peninsula and Tim Walberg of Lenawee County — attempted to undermine the will of voters after the Capitol riot last week by supporting challenges to two states' Electoral College votes for Joe Biden.
McClain has said she opposes impeaching the president.
We all have the same name on our jersey which is United States of America. Why don’t we start acting like it and let our actions follow our words? All of us. pic.twitter.com/Bzg6oKK5us
— Representative Lisa McClain (@RepLisaMcClain) January 13, 2021
Reps Bill Huizenga of Zeeland and John Moolenaar of Midland voted with Upton and Meijer to uphold the votes of Arizona and Pennsylvania, but have not said where they stand on impeachment.
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