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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 5 July 2019

Michigan Rep. Justin Amash quitting Republican Party

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. nounced his support for im-
(AP) — Rep. Justin Amash peachment proceedings,
of Michigan, the only Re- Amash cited a section of
publican in Congress to the Mueller report that sug-
call for impeachment pro- gested Trump had told for-
ceedings against President mer White House counsel
Donald Trump, said Thurs- Don McGahn to create a
day he is leaving the GOP “false record” denying he
because he has become had asked for Mueller’s re-
disenchanted with partisan moval as special counsel.
politics and “frightened by “Things like that to me re-
what I see from it.” flect incredible dishonesty
In an opinion article pub- and really harm the office
lished in the Washington of the presidency. I don’t
Post , on July 4, Amash said think that you can just let
partisan politics is damag- that stuff go,” Amash told
ing American democracy. his constituents. “I think you
“I am declaring my inde- have to have proceedings
pendence and leaving the to deter this kind of con-
Republican Party,” Amash duct even if ultimately the
said. “I’m asking you to join person is not convicted.”
me in rejecting the parti- Under the Constitution, the
san loyalties and rhetoric House has the power to
that divide and dehuman- begin impeachment pro-
ize us.” Amash had been ceedings and the Senate
the only Republican in would decide whether to
Congress to say Trump en- convict. Trump responded
gaged in impeachable immediately to Amash’s
conduct, drawing the ire of announcement that he is
many fellow Republicans quitting the GOP, tweet-
and Trump. In a series of ing Thursday: “Great news
tweets on May 18 , Amash In this June 12, 2019 file photo, Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., listens to debate as the House Oversight for the Republican Party as
said that he had read spe- and Reform Committee considers whether to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce one of the dumbest & most
cial counsel Robert Muel- Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for failing to turn over subpoenaed documents related to the disloyal men in Congress is
ler’s report on Russian Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, on Capitol Hill ‘quitting” the Party.” Trump
meddling in the 2016 presi- in Washington. called Amash a “total los-
dential election. “Muel- Associated Press er.” Amash said he in the
ler’s report reveals that op-ed he is trying to escape
President Trump engaged a “hyperpartisan environ-
in specific actions and a ment.” “The parties value
pattern of behavior that winning for its own sake,
meet the threshold for im- and at whatever cost,”
peachment,” Amash said Amash wrote. “Instead of
at the time. He was roundly acting as an independent
criticized by fellow Repub- branch of government and
licans and withdrew from serving as a check on the
the Freedom Caucus of executive branch, con-
conservatives in Congress gressional leaders of both
after the group disavowed parties expect the House
his views. Amash had filed and Senate to act in obe-
in February for re-election dience or opposition to
in 2020 as a Republican in a the president and their col-
race that has since drawn leagues on a partisan ba-
three primary challengers, sis.” Amash, whose voting
his first intra-party challenge record in Congress is con-
since 2014. Amash’s chief sidered libertarian-leaning,
of staff, Poppy Nelson, said has represented Michi-
Thursday that Amash plans gan’s 3rd Congressional
to run as an independent. district in the western part
Amash told WOOD-TV at a of the state since 2011.q
Grand Rapids parade on
Thursday after announc-
ing that he was leaving the
party that he intended to
“set an example.” “People
need to stand up for what’s
right, stand up for what
they believe in and be in-
dependent of these party
loyalties that really divide
us,” he said. At a town hall
in Michigan after he an-