Rep. Jason Smith: Impeachment farce causing crippling congressional chaos

Never before in our history has the House of Representatives pursued an unsanctioned impeachment investigation of a president. Since launching the unilateral crusade against President Trump, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has failed to provide any institutional rules for these proceedings — a clearly partisan campaign in direct defiance of our democratic values of due process. Worst of all, at a time when our congressional to-do list includes keeping the government open and functioning beyond Nov. 21, the impeachment undertaking has unleashed crippling chaos in Congress.

It is not simply Republicans who are furious at what is taking place in the halls of Congress, but even members of the majority party are urging their leadership to regain sanity. New Jersey Democratic Rep. Jeff Van Drew is one such member. NBC News reported, "As Van Drew sees it, impeachment is a pointless, divisive exercise that will poison the well of bipartisanship and prevent Congress from taking up more important issues, like prescription drug prices and infrastructure."

I couldn’t agree more. There are so many opportunities for Congress to get legislation to the president’s desk to help middle-class Americans which are falling by the wayside because of this impeachment craze.

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