U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Texas) speaks at the 2020 Republican National Convention by video on Aug. 27, 2020.
Several members of Congress have spoken out recently, calling on President-elect Joe Biden to oppose the impeachment of President Trump, which would only further divide the United States.
Following the violence on Capitol Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said she would be prepared to move forward with impeachment proceedings or move forward with the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office if Trump does not resign. The decision was opposed by several Republican congressmen.
In an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” on Sunday (Jan. 10), New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D) said, “I call on President-elect Joe Biden to say, enough is enough. Let’s try to come together.”
Van Drew said it would be “very difficult” to bring everyone together, but the first step toward unity would be to drop calls for the president’s impeachment.
“(It’s) a waste of money, a waste of time,” he said, adding that “(impeachment) would be divisive in America. Tens of millions of people voted and (they) still support Trump.”
Van Drew had previously been a Democrat until 2019, when he switched to Republican status. He said, “I’m really curious about what this (Democratic) party stands for. It’s like I said at the Republican convention: be true to yourself, not to a party that you once (identified with) and now no longer (identify with).”
For the impeachment of Trump, Biden declined to explicitly say whether he supports it when questioned by reporters on Friday (8). He said “what Congress decides to do is up to them”, but at the same time criticized Trump as “unfit for the office”.
On Saturday (9), seven members of Congress, including Ken Buck, Chip Roy and Thomas Massie, also sent a joint letter to Biden suggesting he stop Pelosi from launching an impeachment effort against Trump.
They said, “As you know, America is deeply divided at this time, and the nation is frustrated and angry. We thank you for your repeated calls to heal our divisions, and we write to suggest an important step you can take now to expedite the process.”
The lawmakers said the Constitution does not envision impeachment of the president without a full investigation and without a congressional hearing; impeachment should not be done on a whim, but after careful consideration.
They went on to write, “In the spirit of healing and fidelity to the Constitution, we ask that you formally ask Speaker Nancy Pelosi to stop her second impeachment of President Donald J. Trump.”
“A second impeachment just days before President Trump is set to leave office is both unnecessary and inflammatory. At a time when millions of our fellow citizens are being wounded by the plague pandemic and its economic consequences, (in this case) impeachment would undermine your primary mission of uniting Americans and would further break up our nation.”
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