Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Contact 90.5 WESA with a story idea or news tip: news@wesa.fm

All Nine Pennsylvania House Democrats Back Trump Impeachment

Matt Rourke
/
AP
Democratic congressional candidate Chrissy Houlahan during a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018.

All nine House Democrats from Pennsylvania now say they will support the two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump that were scheduled for a full House vote on Wednesday.

Freshman Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of southeastern Pennsylvania and four-term Rep. Matt Cartwright of northeastern Pennsylvania each revealed their decision Monday.

Houlahan told a tele-townhall on Monday night that, after reviewing the interviews, testimony and documents provided during the inquiry that she believes that Trump used the power of his office to advance his own personal and political interests.

Cartwright revealed his decision in a column published Monday in his hometown newspaper, the Times-Tribune of Scranton, and USA Today.

Cartwright easily won re-election in 2018 and 2016, although Trump won Cartwright's district by nearly 10 percentage points in 2016 over Democrat Hillary Clinton. That's made Cartwright a target of Republicans.

Clinton easily won Houlahan's district in 2016.

All nine Republican House members from Pennsylvania have said they will vote against the articles. That includes Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of suburban Philadelphia, who on occasion breaks party ranks to vote with Democrats. Clinton narrowly won Fitzpatrick's district in 2016.

Trump is the fourth U.S. president to face impeachment proceedings and the first to run for reelection at the same time.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.