Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) on Friday called the House impeachment proceedings “baseless,” adding that Democrats are following a different script than previous probes.
“There’s an old Texas saying: putting lipstick on the pig,” Arrington, a member of the House Ways and Means Committe, said. “I think this still smells like a pig, still sounds like a pig. It’s not open, it’s not fair, it’s not the way impeachment proceedings have been done in the past.”
The House passed a resolution on Thursday formalizing the impeachment inquiry. No Republicans joined Democrats in the 232-196 vote, though two Democrats crossed the aisle. Former Republican Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) voted in favor of the resolution.
“This doesn’t change anything for me,” Arrington said. “I think it’s absurd. I think it’s baseless, personally.”
Democratic Reps. Collin Peterson (Minn.) and Jefferson Van Drew (N.J.), who both represent districts that Trump won in 2016, voted against the resolution.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Friday that she expects public hearings to start sometime this month. She did not give any indication about when the hearings might come to a close.
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