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West Virginia’s congressional delegation responds to impeachment inquiry

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Republican members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation are criticizing House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and congressional Democrats for an official impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

Pelosi announced the inquiry on Tuesday in light of reports Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. The elder Biden is also running for the Democratic Party’s nomination in next year’s presidential election.

The call happened in July, just days before the president asked advisers to freeze military aid to Ukraine.

Pelosi’s announcement happened after Trump announced the complete transcript of the call between himself and Zelenskiy will be released on Wednesday.

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said West Virginians are not interested in “political and partisan theatrics,” and approved the president’s decision to release the transcript.

“Moving forward with an impeachment inquiry before that transcript is even public proves that House Democrats are more interested in partisan politics than in following the facts,” she said.

Reps. David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Carol Miller also accused Pelosi and Democrats of playing partisan politics.

“Speaker Pelosi’s call for impeachment is just another partisan attack on President Trump,” McKinley said in a statement to MetroNews. “This Congress has featured countless investigations, and today’s announcement is nothing more than Democrats continuing to put partisan politics ahead of getting real legislation done.”

Mooney called the impeachment inquiry “baseless and purely partisan.”

“The liberals in Congress have been clear from day one that their goal was to take down President Trump and remove him from office,” he said. “As I travel across West Virginia, I talk to folks who are sick and tired of this purely partisan investigation aimed at reversing the results of the presidential election. It is time for Democrats to move on and start focusing on issues that matter to all Americans.”

Miller, who is in her first term in office, said House Democrats should instead work with Republicans on legislation.

“Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats have once again proven they are willing to stop at nothing to discredit the 2016 election and take down President Trump by any means necessary,” she said. “It’s time for Washington liberals to stop playing politics and embrace the success of the Trump Administration.”

Sen. Joe Manchin, West Virginia’s only Democrat in Congress, stressed getting as much information as possible before discussing impeachment; Manchin noted this includes the classified complaint from a whistleblower regarding the call.

“We’ve got to get all of the facts before we jump to any conclusion. I’m looking forward to seeing the transcript tomorrow and I want to see the whistleblower’s report,” he said.

The Senate passed — by unanimous consent — a resolution that would give members of the Senate Intelligence and House Intelligence committees immediate access to the complaint. The House is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a similar measure.

Trump criticized the inquiry, calling it a “Witch Hunt” and “PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT” on Twitter.

“In a far departure from all of the work and results of this President, House Democrats have destroyed any chances of legislative progress for the people of this country by continuing to focus all their energy on partisan political attacks,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said. “Their attacks on the President and his agenda are not only partisan and pathetic, they are in dereliction of their Constitutional duty.”





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