Western Pa. Republican County Chairs Oppose Sen. Toomey's Vote To Convict Trump But Disagree On Censure Resolutions
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KDKA) -- U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey is feeling the backlash from fellow Republicans for his vote on Saturday to convict former President Donald Trump on the impeachment charge.
On Monday evening, Westmoreland County Republicans are expected to consider a resolution of censure of Toomey. Not all Republicans agree this is the best action to take.
Toomey has almost always voted for Trump's policies and nominees and was criticized by Democrats for doing that. Now he's feeling the heat from fellow Republicans who say he no longer represents them.
"We did not send him there to vote his conscience," Dave Ball, the chair of the Washington County Republican Party, told KDKA political editor Jon Delano on Monday. "We did not send him there to do the right thing, whatever he said he was doing. We sent him there to represent us, and we feel very strongly that he did not represent us."
The Washington County party voted to censure Toomey, and he feels Toomey misled party leaders earlier this year on impeachment.
"I don't think he was straightforward with us," Ball said.
WATCH: Jon Delano Has More With Republican Leaders
Westmoreland County Republican Party chair Bill Bretz says his county is likely to join in censuring Toomey. On Monday night, they unanimously approved a resolution of censure.
"We strongly disapprove of his action both to hear the case and the subsequent vote to convict," said Bretz.
Bretz says no Republican official is ever 100 percent, but, he says, "This is a matter of magnitude beyond a simple up or down vote on some trade policy or something."
Allegheny County Republican Party chair Sam DeMarco agrees that Toomey was absolutely wrong in his votes against Trump but worries that censure resolutions are a distraction.
"Every minute that we spend sitting there and fighting among each other and going back and trying to censure somebody who has already announced they're retiring and are leaving is a moment where we're not focused on the future," says DeMarco.
DeMarco says Republicans should focus on President Joe Biden and Democrats.
"We're a big tent party. I believe there is room under this tent for people who don't always agree," said DeMarco.
State Republican chair Lawrence Tabas has said he might convene state leaders to consider censure as well.
KDKA reached out to Toomey for a comment on this censure. Toomey was unavailable, and his office referred to his Saturday statement after the vote, which says nothing about censures.
But it does say Toomey voted to convict Trump because he engaged in a lawless attempt to retain power with a mob attack on the Capitol.