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Seven Republican Senators voted to convict Donald Trump in the most recent witch-hunt against the former-president. They should be censured.
The second impeachment trial against the former president trial ended yesterday, Feb. 13, 2021, with an acquittal. The Trump defense team presented a strong argument against the Constitutionality of the charges brought by the House of Representatives.
The senators who abandoned the Republican party and decided Trump was guilty are:
- Richard Burr is from South Carolina. He has represented the state since 1995, first in the House of Representatives (1995-2005), then in the Senate beginning in 2005.
- Bill Cassidy, has represented Republicans in Louisiana as a United States Senator since 2015. He served in the State Senate from 2006 to 2009 and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2009 to 2015.
- Lisa Murkowski was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and elected in 2004. Murkowski is currently the second-most senior Republican woman in the Senate.
- Susan Collins is a senior Republican in the Senate. She has served as a representative of Maine since 1997.
- Mitt Romney, from Utah, served the state as its 70th Governor between 2003 and 2007. He has been a Senator since 2019. Romney campaigned as a Republican presidential candidate in 2008 and 2012 primaries.
- Ben Sasse has represented Nebraska’s Republicans since 2015.
- Pat Toomey, from Pennsylvania, has served in the United States Senate since 2011. He also served three terms in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005.
Censuring Explained: Voters’ Voices and Ballots Make a Difference
When a state’s political representative fails to uphold their party’s platform one way to discipline them is through censuring. Being censured labels that politician as a defector and is a formal expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism.
Each state handles censuring differently — contact the state Republican office for more information. Also, consider asking if and when they intend to censure the state’s defector.
A personal way to censure an elected official is by voting them out of the office or start a petition to recall them if they are still in the midst of their 6-year term.
Burr’s term ends in 2023, Cassidy in 2027, Murkowski in 2023, Collins in 2027, Romney in 2025, Sasse in 2027, and Toomey in 2023. Each of these Republican Senators must be reelected in the November General Election the year before their term ends.
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
USA Today: 7 Republican senators bucked their party and voted to convict Trump at his impeachment trial. Here’s how they explained their votes, by Ledyard King and Savannah Behrmann
The Washington Post: Trump calls impeachment case a ‘witch hunt’ and hints at a political return; by Anne Gearan
Ballotpedia: US Congress
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