The first five months in office for U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind., have been a whirlwind of setting up district offices, meeting with constituents, getting acclimated to the job and working on legislation.
And all of that has been amid the looming question of whether House Democrats will attempt impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, for what they perceive as impeachable offenses following the conclusion of a two-year investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election, and whether the president and his campaign colluded with Russia in its efforts.
Mueller concluded that Russia interfered with the election, but that Trump and his campaign didn’t collude with Russia on its efforts. Mueller also did not bring obstruction of justice charges against the president, although he said the report did not exonerate him of wrongdoing.
Pence, 62, a Columbus resident, said he thinks the country is suffering from “Mueller fatigue” and is ready to move on.
“It doesn’t seem that the (Democratic) leadership has much appetite to pursue impeachment. You hear different interpretations of the Mueller Report. I’ve moved on. In my heart, I know that the president and the campaign did not collude, and as far as obstruction, to me, it’s pretty clear Mueller didn’t recommend any charges be brought, and I think that was his responsibility,” the freshman congressman said.
While touring the congressional district recently, Pence said he got the sense that constituents are tired of the drama surrounding the report and possibility of impeachment.
“Maybe we ought to be spending a little more time working on the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) — the “New NAFTA” agreement (regarding free trade between the countries) — and getting things done to benefit this country, instead of another two-and-a-half years more of chasing after the president. It seems to be the only thing Democrats want to get done. It’s obvious not all Democrats agree that they ought to impeach the president. They’re not even unified.”
For more of The Republic’s interview with Pence, see Tuesday’s Republic.
