The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted Thursday to impeach Republican President Donald Trump for the second time during his term.
The vote was 232-197, with Wisconsin’s delegation voting along party lines.
The articles of impeachment charge Trump with inciting a riot inside the U.S. Capitol, in which five people died.
Several members of Wisconsin’s delegation spoke during the debate, including Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Milwaukee.
She recounted the terror she felt after hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol as Congress was certifying the Nov. 3 election results for President-elect Joe Biden.
“The president radicalized American citizens and as his vice president fled from a lynch mob while people died, he watched with glee,” she said.
Moore said she voted in favor of impeachment because she fears what Trump could do in his remaining days in office. For instance, she said he could declassify documents that would put the country at a security risk.
Another person who voted yes was Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan of Madison. He said he’s still trying to absorb the magnitude of last week’s events.
“The U.S. Capitol has not been breached for over 200 years since the War of 1812, that is until last week, when it wasn’t another country that attacked us, but our own president,” said Pocan.
Pocan declared Trump “unfit to be president.”
But, Republicans in the Wisconsin delegation voted against impeachment, including Rep. Glenn Grothman of Greenbush.
He called the articles of impeachment “preposterous” and sayid Trump’s comments, which led to the riot, were taken out of context.
“He clearly said he wanted peaceful and patriotic demonstration. He did say he wanted people to ‘fight like hell or we’re not going to have a country anymore’ but that’s obviously standard hyperbole and not meant to aim at physical fights,” said Grothman.
Another Republican who voted against impeachment was Congressman Tom Tiffany of Wausau. He reminded colleagues that the punishment seems contrary to what incoming President-elect Joe Biden has been advocating.
“Madame Speaker, Joe Biden has been talking about unity and healing. Is that what this is today? Is accusing Republican lawmakers of sedition and calls for expulsion the plan for healing?” said Tiffany.
Other Republican members of Wisconsin’s delegation who voted against impeachment include Reps. Scott Fitzgerald, Mike Gallagher and Bryan Steil.
Democrat Ron Kind voted with the other Wisconsin Democrats to impeach President Trump.
