President Donald Trump is facing one of the toughest tests of his presidency as Democrats in the House of Representatives move forward with their formal impeachment inquiry against the 1968 Wharton graduate.
Trump's fellow Penn alumni in Congress will be critical players as Democrats continue gathering evidence in the coming months to support their allegation that Trump betrayed his oath of office by enlisting help from a foreign leader to investigate a political rival.
At the heart of the issue is a July call between Trump and Ukraine's president, in which Trump asked the leader to investigate Joe Biden, a Democratic presidential candidate and a former Penn Presidential Professor of Practice. Biden took an unpaid leave of absence earlier this year after announcing his candidacy.
Out of the seven Penn graduates in Congress, six are Democrats — all support an impeachment inquiry. The lone Republican opposes an impeachment inquiry.
1. 1984 Penn Law graduate Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.)
On May 21, Rep. Scanlon was the first Penn graduate to support an impeachment inquiry. Scanlon is the Vice Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, a committee that will decide whether the case for impeachment is strong enough to warrant a full House vote.
"The President’s refusal to produce evidence or permit witness testimony defies not only the rule of law but the basic protections of our Constitution. No one is above the rule of law," Rep. Scanlon said in a statement at the time. "The time has come to start an impeachment inquiry because the American people deserve to know the truth and to have the opportunity to judge the gravity of the evidence and charges leveled against the President."
2. 2006 College and 2009 Penn Law School graduate Conor Lamb (D-Pa.)
Lamb was the last Penn graduate to back an impeachment inquiry, announcing his support on Sept. 27 three days after Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced the House would launch a formal impeachment inquiry. He represents a conservative-leaning district and was the last of the Pennsylvania House Democrats to back an inquiry.
“Every member of Congress and the President has taken an oath to defend this country, and that is why this investigation is so important. Our work must be focused only on facts, not partisanship," Lamb said in a statement.
3. 1986 Penn Law graduate Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.)
Cartwright announced support for the impeachment inquiry on Sept. 24 — the same day Pelosi announced the impeachment inquiry. He was quickly hit with attack advertisements by a super PAC associated with House Republican leadership accusing him of “pushing a radical scheme to impeach President Trump."
“There have been credible allegations this week that the President abused the power of his office, on the international stage, for his own political gain, Cartwright said in a statement. "We need to get to the bottom of these serious allegations through comprehensive impeachment proceedings and document production."
4. 1997 College graduate Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.)
Gottheimer announced support for an impeachment inquiry on Sept. 24.
"The serious allegations that have surfaced about communication between President Trump and the Ukrainian President put our national security at risk and merit an immediate inquiry. We must let the facts guide our work," he said in a statement. "Given the gravity of this moment, I will base my final judgment on whether impeachment is warranted on the information garnered through this inquiry, not on hearsay, social media, or conflicting news accounts. I’d urge the House Republicans to do the same."
5. 1985 Wharton MBA David Trone (D-Md.)
Trone announced support for an impeachment inquiry on Sept. 24.
“The President’s actions with respect to Ukraine are reprehensible: withholding foreign aid approved by Congress in order to pressure a foreign country to dig up dirt on his political rival is the definition of corruption," Trone said in a statement. "Withholding information about those conversations from Congress is the definition of a cover up. His actions are arrogant and lawless. They undermine our democracy."
6. 1969 Wharton MBA David Scott (D-Ga.)
Scott announced support for an impeachment inquiry on Sept. 24.
"There are national security implications to the President’s actions here. But moreover, Congress must exercise its duties as a co-equal branch of government to preserve the checks and balances laid out in the Constitution," Scott said in a statement.
7. 2004 Wharton graduate Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.),
Hollingsworth announced his opposition to an impeachment inquiry on Sept. 25. No House Republicans currently support an impeachment inquiry.
"This transcript is another example that [Democrats] will stop at nothing to seek revenge on the 62 million Americans who voted for President Trump and who are relying on him and Congress to focus on real, day-to-day issues for American families and businesses," he told the Indianapolis Star.
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