Pa. Republicans rejoice in President Trump's acquittal on impeachment charges, 'failed political hit job'

Pennsylvania’s Republican congressmen rejoiced following Wednesday’s acquittal of President Trump on both impeachment charges.

U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah was the sole Republican to join Democrats in finding Trump guilty of abusing his powers, a charge that was rejected, 48-52. On obstructing Congress, all 53 Republicans voted not guilty.

Just 34 not-guilty votes were needed to acquit Trump on each charge.

#Impeachment has been sucking the air out of the room for far too long. Now that this stunt is in the rear view mirror, let's get back to the people's work. https://t.co/Q1Ij3cfQtD

— Glenn 'GT' Thompson (@CongressmanGT) February 5, 2020

Democrat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey lamented that “America deserved a fair trial and it got a cover-up.”

“Even without additional witnesses or documents, after carefully reviewing all of the available evidence, I have determined that House managers have not only met, but exceeded, any reasonable burden of proof standard,” Casey said Tuesday, a day before the vote. “It is clear: President Trump abused his power and obstructed Congress’ investigation.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, first announced in December that he was in favor of impeachment because Trump “abused the power of his office by illegally soliciting election assistance from a foreign government and refusing to comply with Congressional subpoenas.”

“The evidence is clear, the law is clear, and Constitution is clear,” Doyle said.

The Senate just voted down Democrats’ partisan impeachment and acquitted President Trump for life. While @realDonaldTrump has fueled a red-hot economic boom, negotiated a trade deal with China, and stood up to Iranian aggression, Democrats focused on this failed political hit job

— Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (@GReschenthaler) February 5, 2020

Here’s a look at what Pennsylvania politicians had to say about Wednesday’s votes via social media and news releases:

U.S. Rep. Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, R-Bellefonte

“Impeachment has been sucking the air out of the room for far too long. Now that this stunt is in the rear-view mirror, let’s get back to the people’s work.”

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh Valley

“While some of President Trump’s actions were inappropriate, they did not come close to meeting the very high bar required to justify overturning the last election, removing him from office, and kicking him off the ballot in an election that has already begun. In November, the American people will decide for themselves whether President Trump should stay in office. In our democratic system, that’s the way it should be.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler

”The Senate’s acquittal of President Trump means the national nightmare orchestrated by (House) Speaker Nancy Pelosi, (California U.S. Rep.) Adam Schiff, and (New York U.S. Rep.) Jerry Nadler is finally over.

“House Democrats’ partisan abuse of Congress’ impeachment power is a disgrace, and I call on them to help heal the wounds their reckless behavior has caused by working with the president and Republicans on the priorities of the American people going forward.”

U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters

“The Senate just voted down Democrats’ partisan impeachment and acquitted President Trump for life. While (President Donald Trump) has fueled a red-hot economic boom, negotiated a trade deal with China, and stood up to Iranian aggression, Democrats focused on this failed political hit job.”

U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-Altoona

“Today’s vote in the Senate marks the end of the long and shameful path of this impeachment sham. Driven by petty political stunts, House Democrats’ impeachment process never was motivated by the pursuit of truth; instead, it was intended … to keep President Trump off the ballot in 2020. …

“Moving forward, I encourage my colleagues to accept the outcome of the Senate trial, put aside political differences, and come together to deliver commonsense solutions for the American people. From lowering the cost of prescription drugs and bolstering our national security to ending the national drug crisis and strengthening the economy, we can make a difference for the hardworking families that we serve.”

Acquitted for life. pic.twitter.com/HgqBXwpoWK

— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) February 5, 2020