Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) blasted Democrats’ decision to bring articles of impeachment to the floor on Wednesday, comparing the gravity of their impending passage to the attacks on Pearl Harbor.
Kelly has been highly critical of the impeachment process since its inception. The congressman repeated his frustrations in a speech during a six-hour impeachment debate on the House floor Wednesday, stating that, like the Japanese attack, this date is another “that will live in infamy.”
“December is such a great month. There are so many great dates in December. We talk about wonderful things that have happened in Decembers in the past. In addition to Christmas being something we celebrate, the Boston Tea Party took place in December, but also Dec. 7, 1941, a horrific act happened in the United States. It’s when President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, ‘This is a date that will live in infamy,’” Kelly said.
“Today, Dec. 18, 2019, is another date that will live in infamy,” Kelly said. “Just because you hate the president of the United States and you can find no other reason other than the fact that you’re so blinded by your hate that you can’t see straight, so you’ve decided the only way to make sure this president doesn’t get elected again is to impeach him.”
Kelly went on to say he believes the push for impeachment will backfire on Democrats during the next election cycle.
“On the floor of the people’s House, the bastion of democracy and liberty in the whole world, we have decided that political power is far more important than principle. I would urge all members of the House to vote no on impeachment and to look their voters in the eye,” he continued.
“The voters will remember next November what you’re doing this December,” he added.
President Trump has repeatedly made similar remarks criticizing how Democrats conducted the impeachment investigation, recently alleging that more due process was given during the Salem witch trials.
The House is expected to pass two articles of impeachment — one charging the president with abuse of power and the other accusing the president of obstruction of Congress — along party lines on Wednesday.