New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Brindisi said he plans to vote for both articles of impeachment against President Trump.
Brindisi is among the final House Democratic holdouts on whether to impeach Trump, who faces two counts in the Ukraine military aid affair, for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The first-term congressman, 41, is a reflection of sentiment among other lawmakers trying to defend tough seats. His district, running from the Pennsylvania state line to Lake Ontario, leans Republican. Trump won it in 2016 by 15 points, the second-highest margin of victory in a district represented by a Democrat.
Trump won the district of Minnesota Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson, who plans to vote against impeachment, by 30 points. Brindisi said his decision had caused him “great pain” because he had worked with Trump on trade and national security.
[Read: Trump-district House Democrats largely backing impeachment]
But after reading through the two articles of impeachment, Brindisi decided to vote along with the rest of his caucus, he said Tuesday. “The fact this president withheld aid from Ukraine for his own political gain is very troubling,” Brindisi said. “In fact, I think it’s unconstitutional.”
Brindisi is one of 31 Democrats in Trump-won districts being targeted by Republicans for their support of the impeachment process and now the impeachment itself. He will likely face a rematch against former Republican
Rep. Claudia Tenney, who represented the 22nd district before Brindisi defeated her in 2018 after a single term.
“Anthony Brindisi’s decision to back impeachment is a slap in the face to the hardworking men and women in NY-22 who overwhelmingly elected President Trump to office. Impeachment will cost Brindisi his job,” NRCC Spokesman Michael McAdams said in statement.
Tenney told the Washington Examiner that she initially thought Brindisi would vote against impeaching the president but figured he was pressured by New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others as well as made financial considerations.
“Impeachment brings in a lot of money for the reelection. It’s early. They have almost a year to move away, from the whole impeachment question,” Tenney noted. “Democrats have built this vote up to such a crescendo that it becomes a pivotal vote, and I think that they’re going to try to walk away from it, but it is so huge vote and they’re not going to quit.”
