The House’s vote on its formal impeachment resolution against President Trump passed quickly, with the votes falling along party lines (232-196). But there were two Democrats who strayed from the party and voted against the resolution.
Reps. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Collin Peterson of Minnesota both voted “nay” on the resolution and voted against moving forward with the procedural vote when the resolution was first introduced on the House floor.
Their votes shouldn’t come as a surprise: Neither Van Drew nor Peterson have made public statements in support of the impeachment proceedings because both are facing tough reelections in vulnerable districts Trump won in 2016.
Peterson represents Minnesota’s 7th District, which turned red for Trump in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. And Van Drew represents New Jersey’s 2nd District, which also backed Trump, although it is less likely to return to him in 2020.
Voting against the impeachment resolution shields Van Drew and Peterson from any backlash among their constituents, who might see impeachment as an unfair, partisan attack on the president. But neither has ruled out impeachment entirely.
“Without bipartisan support, I believe this inquiry will further divide the country tearing it apart at the seams and will ultimately fail in the Senate,” Van Drew said in a statement after the vote on Thursday. “However, now that the vote has taken place and we are moving forward, I will be making a judgment call based on all the evidence presented by these investigations.”
Similarly, Peterson called the resolution “unnecessary” but added he “will not make a decision on impeachment until all the facts have been presented.”
Van Drew and Peterson are playing both sides. They don’t want to risk losing reelection, but they’re also setting themselves up for an about-face that depends entirely on the evidence produced by the House’s investigations.
Democratic leadership likely encouraged Van Drew and Peterson to dissent. The House was going to have enough votes to pass the resolution, whether Van Drew and Peterson voted for it or not. And allowing them to break away from the party will likely help Democrats hold on to their House majority come 2020.
Everybody wins in this game, except for the voters, who are caught in this back-and-forth that never seems to end. Van Drew and Peterson might publicly disavow the “partisan” game but they’re playing it just like everyone else.
