Scott Powers
Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz summoned his pride as being a Green Beret and a veteran and declared he could not be proud of what the U.S. House of Representatives were doing Wednesday in impeaching President Donald Trump.
Waltz, an Army National Guard lieutenant colonel who served as a Green Beret in Afghanistan special operations, also declared that nothing in President Trump’s call rises to high crimes and misdemeanors, or being worthy of impeachment.
He was referring to the July 25 phone call Trump had with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, which triggered the House Democrats’ investigation of whether Trump was trying to pressure the new Ukrainian leader to perform political favors.
“I am a Green Beret and a proud veteran, but this process does not make me proud,” Waltz said. “I’ve fought all over the world from African to Afghanistan, and I’ve seen fairer and more transparent processes than this.”
Waltz, of St. Augustine Beach, was granted only 30 seconds to speak. In that time, he expressed frustration that so much time and attention has been focused on impeachment while other issues remain unsolved.
The two floor leaders for the parties were offering between 30 seconds and three minutes to members.
“Since Democrats lost the election in 2016 they’ve been focusing on impeaching the President. Meanwhile, we have not solved the problems that America entrusted us to solve: immigration, health care, our infrastructure.
“Nothing in President Trump’s call rises to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors, worthy an impeachment, and for that reason I’ll be voting against impeachment,” Waltz added.
