Seven Republican members of Congress on Saturday sent a letter to President-elect Joe Biden, asking him to request Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) discontinue the House's second impeachment of President Donald Trump.
The members of Congress cite Biden's previous calls to heal the country's division as a reason he should take this "important step."
"In the spirit of healing and fidelity to our Constitution, we ask that you formally request that Speaker Nancy Pelosi discontinue her efforts to impeach President Donald J. Trump a second time," the letter stated. "A second impeachment, only days before President Trump will leave office, is as unnecessary as it is inflammatory. This impeachment would undermine your priority of unifying Americans, and would be a further distraction to our nation at a time when millions of our fellow citizens are hurting because of the pandemic and the economic fallout. We respectfully urge you to encourage Speaker Pelosi to set aside this partisan effort immediately."
The group pointed out that they opposed other Republicans' objection to certifying the election results for Biden based on Constitutional concerns and overstepping their powers. They expressed the same concern with a second impeachment push.
"The Twelfth Amendment does not give Congress the authority or discretion to disqualify electors based on its own findings or beliefs that fraud took place," the letter stated. "Nor does the Constitution environ impeaching a President without an adequate investigation and congressional hearings. A presidential impeachment should not occur in the heat of the moment, but rather after great deliberation."
The letter was signed by Reps. Ken Buck (CO), Thomas Massie (KY), Tom McClintock (CA), Nancy Mace (SC), Chip Roy (TX), Kelly Armstrong (ND) and Mike Gallagher (WI).
The full letter is below:
In the spirit of healing and fidelity to our Constitution, I am asking that @JoeBiden formally request that Speaker Pelosi discontinue her efforts to impeach President Trump a second time. pic.twitter.com/BpCouEPxiW
— Congressman Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) January 9, 2021
The House is expected to take up articles of impeachment as early as Tuesday or Wednesday.
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