Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick.
Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick announced in a statement Tuesday evening that he is joining a group of lawmakers introducing a censure for President Donald Trump.
The statement from Fitzpatrick’s office noted that the censure against the outgoing president was for “attempting to unlawfully overturn the 2020 Presidential election and for violating his oath of office on January 6th, 2021. In the aftermath of the riot at the Capitol last week, lawmakers have the solemn duty to accomplish two missions: hold the President fully and unequivocally accountable for his actions, and simultaneously calm and heal the fever-pitch tensions in our country.”
The possibility of Fitzpatrick introducing a censure was first reported Tuesday morning by Politico, which noted the congressman was not yet locked in.
Republican congresspeople Tom Reed, of New York; Young Kim, California; Fred Upton, Michigan; John Curtis, Utah; and Peter Meijer, of Michigan, joined Fitzpatrick in introducing the concurrent resolution.
“President Trump’s attempts to undermine the outcome of the 2020 election have been unconscionable. The combination of a false information campaign coupled with inflammatory rhetoric led to the devastation that I was a personal witness to on the House Floor on January 6th. His actions threatened the integrity of our democracy, Congress, and his own Vice President. For months, President Trump has been lying to the American people with false information, and giving his supporters false expectations. The election is over,” Fitzpatrick said in the statement. “Joe Biden will be sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th, 2021. President Trump’s actions, behavior, and language are unacceptable and unbecoming of the office he holds for the next eight days.”
The statement on the censure move noted that President-Elect Joe Biden is sworn in next Wednesday and impeachment, citing Democratic West Virginia U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin is “ill-advised.”
“Forcing a time-consuming and divisive trial in the Senate, which cannot even occur until after President-elect Biden takes office, would also undermine President-elect Biden’s ability to govern effectively at the beginning and most critical time of his presidency. Because of these concerns, my colleagues and I support a bipartisan, bicameral censure that ensures that the Congress—the House and the Senate—can unite to hold the President accountable by putting it on the record that Congress condemns the President’s conduct and for violating his oath of office on January 6th, 2021. Our country must both hold the President accountable and provide closure and the opportunity to begin anew with the incoming administration. A concurrent censure resolution with language nearly identical to the impeachment resolution introduced in the House is the only immediate, appropriate, and effective means for achieving this,” the statement further said.
Censures are formal statements of disapproval or condemnation against an elected official. It is nonbinding and imposes official punishment.
The Senate website notes that a censure can “have a powerful psychological effect” on the person it is inflicted upon.
The resolution filed Tuesday evening notes that Trump, who is in his waning days in office, acted in a “manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law.”
Earlier Tuesday evening, Fitzpatrick signed onto a letter from 25 Democratic and Republican members of Congress to Trump asking that he “address the nation and unequivocally denounce domestic terrorism, condemn harmful propaganda, urge anyone considering mobilizing to stay home and affirmatively state that you are no way supportive of violent messages of any kind. We must, as one nation, stand up against extremism in all its forms.”
The letter comes in the wake of last week’s attack and as domestic terrorism threats for the coming days and weeks have increased.
Fitzpatrick, who just began his third term, did not vote for Trump in 2016, but he did cast his ballot for him in 2020, as first reported by WBCB News. In addition, Fitzpatrick received a robocall endorsement from the president last fall.
See also:
Congressman Fitzpatrick May Call For Censure Of President Trump, Report Says
Congressman Fitzpatrick Condemns 'Coup Attempt,' Blames Trump For Chaos At Capitol
Congressman Fitzpatrick Begins Third Term By Outlining Reform Proposals
Congressman Fitzpatrick Projected Winner Against Challenger Finello
Congressman Fitzpatrick Votes For Resolution Denouncing QAnon Conspiracy Theory
