WASHINGTON — Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson is one of just two House Democrats to vote no on ground rules for an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump on Thursday.
The House approved the package on a 232-196 vote, with all Republicans against. New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew was the other Democrat opposed.
Peterson had said in the past that an impeachment proceeding is pointless without bipartisan support, and would only divide the country further.
He added to that Thursday with a statement saying he has "some serious concerns with the way the closed-door depositions were run."
"This impeachment process continues to be hopelessly partisan. I have been hearing from my constituents on both sides of this matter for months, and the escalation of calls this past week just shows me how divided our country really is right now," Peterson explained. "Without support from Senate Republicans, going down this path is a mistake. Today’s vote is both unnecessary, and widely misrepresented in the media and by Republicans as a vote on impeachment. I will not make a decision on impeachment until all the facts have been presented.”
Peterson has long represented the sprawling northwest portion of Minnesota, though his victory margin has declined in recent years in the firmly conservative territory that went strongly for Trump in 2016. He's among more than 60 Democrats nationwide who have already been targeted by Republicans with ads critical of impeachment.
