HARRISBURG — Republican Party committee members in Pennsylvania expect to meet Wednesday night to decide whether to censure U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey amid a GOP backlash over his vote to convict Donald Trump during the former president’s second impeachment trial, members said.
The state party chairman, Lawrence Tabas, emailed committee members Monday to schedule the meeting. He emailed them on Feb. 13, moments after the Senate vote, telling them to expect a meeting.
A censure vote is a symbolic gesture that may have no real effect on Toomey since he isn’t seeking reelection next year.
Toomey was one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump of “incitement of insurrection.” Ultimately, Trump was acquitted of the charge because the 57-43 vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for conviction.
Some county parties have already moved to censure Toomey, and a resolution to censure Toomey came up for discussion at the state party’s leadership committee meeting on Feb. 6, weeks after Toomey said Trump committed “impeachable offenses” in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
On Thursday, Toomey said on KDKA-AM radio that the party can’t look the other way when a president “tries terrible and illegal and unconstitutional means of staying in power.”
“That’s not acceptable, that’s not conservative, that’s not Republican,” he told the Pittsburgh station.
