Republican Rep. Andy Harris skips Trump impeachment vote, as rest of Maryland congressmen vote yes

U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, Maryland’s sole Republican congressman and a loyal ally of President Donald Trump, skipped Wednesday’s vote to impeach the president on charges of inciting last week’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol.

He was the only U.S. representative from Maryland who did not join the majority in the 232-197 vote, which rendered Trump the first president in history to be impeached twice. Ten of Harris’ fellow House Republicans broke party lines to join Democrats in voting for impeachment; he was one of four, all Republicans, who did not vote.

Harris, a physician and six-term Baltimore County Republican, tweeted that the “divisive, hastily called and politically motivated snap impeachment,” was “a waste of time,” and said he instead spent Wednesday caring for patients in his district.

“While I certainly would have voted against impeachment, and the Congressional Record will reflect that, my constituents were better served by my work in the operating room today than by taking part in this pointless exercise,” the Republican congressman wrote.

Read more: https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-pol-impeachment-vote-20210113-4lnnkmvbbjb25m2rwzj75ob5ou-story.html