KINGSTON — U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright said Friday he has not decided if he will vote to impeach President Donald Trump.
“I have all the transcripts to read,” Cartwright, D-8, Moosic, said to a constituent at the Black Diamond American Legion in Kingston, referring to transcripts of closed-door testimony from the House impeachment inquiry.
The House of Representatives last week voted 232-196 to formalize the procedures of the impeachment inquiry.
“I’m an old country lawyer. I believe in getting all the facts out,” Cartwright said, explaining why he voted for the resolution on the inquiry.
The congressman noted the inquiry will now include public hearings, which are scheduled to start Wednesday.
“I want the American public to watch these hearings,” he said. “I voted in favor of taking it public.”
Around 25 people, including many veterans, attended the “Coffee with Veterans” event Friday morning. Cartwright spoke to several groups of five or six people eating doughnuts and drinking coffee.
House Democrats are investigating allegations Trump abused his office for efforts to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden’s family and 2016 election interference allegations.
The committees leading the impeachment inquiry this week released transcripts of their closed-door hearings with several current and former officials. Cartwright noted the transcript of testimony from Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, was 322 pages.
“So I got a lot of homework to do and a lot of thinking,” Cartwright said. “I encourage people at home when they watch these public hearings, watch them. Don’t just listen to the talking heads on television telling you what to think. Make up your own minds.”
Steve Radzinski, 83, an Army veteran from Kingston, told Cartwright he is disturbed that Turkey launched a military offensive last month in northern Syria against Kurdish forces after Trump withdrew troops from northern Syria.
“We betrayed the Kurds, and we betrayed them,” said Radzinski, a Democrat. “We let them be murdered by Turkey.”
Cartwright voted for a House resolution last week approving sanctions against Turkey. The measure passed 403-16, with 176 Republicans voting in support and just 15 opposing the bill.
“There’s a lot we can disagree about, but we all ought to get behind supporting our allies,” Cartwright said.
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