U.S. Representative Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma City on Wednesday’s impeachment vote
Published: January 14th, 2021
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., where members of the House of Representatives debated during the impeachment process.
The City Sentinel, File Photo: Former state Senator Stephanie Bice, now a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The City Sentinel is an independent, locally-owned newspaper based in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma's five members of the U.S. House all voted against impeachment of President Donald Trump, who is leaving office on January 20.
Donald Trump, shown in this 2016 file photo, twice carried Oklahoma with overwhelming popular support. In the November 2020 presidential election, 65.37 percent of supporters supported the incumbnet.
Representative Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma City, released the following statement regarding the January 13 vote to impeach President Donald Trump. The statement was sent Wednesday to news organizations, including the CapitolBeatOK.com, The City Sentinel newspaper:
“Today’s rushed vote is one for political expediency that will only impede efforts to heal the nation, and therefore I will not be voting to impeach President Trump. I will not vote to further divide this nation at a time when we should be focused on helping the American people and unifying the country.
“Every American has the right to a legal defense, including the President of the United States. In bringing the articles of impeachment against President Trump, there has been no substantive investigation, or process for evidence to be brought forth from both sides for members of the House to review. Additionally, there will be no time for a trial in the Senate before the transfer of power. Every American, including President Trump, has a right to defend themselves.
“There are just seven days left in this administration. The President and the Vice President have both agreed to a peaceful transition of power. Let us focus our energy on moving forward and putting government back to work for the betterment of our nation and its people, rather than wasting time to impeach a man who will no longer be in office.”