East County Rep. Darrell Issa, R-50, was the only San Diego-area Congressional representative to vote against impeachment Wednesday, joining all but 10 House Republicans in that rejection.
Issa said impeaching the president will further divide the nation.
"What’s being debated is whether, with 167 hours before he leaves office, is he a clear and present danger, and he clearly isn’t," he said on the House floor. "The president has acted the same for four years, he has rallied his base."
All four San Diego Democratic representatives voted for impeachment.
"The facts are clear, the evidence of Trump’s insurrection overwhelming," said Rep. Mike Levin, D-49, on the House floor as he joined fellow Democrats in voting for impeachment.
"We had a decision to make today — each of us that took the oath of office — whether or not we would stand against domestic terrorism or whether to look the other way and history will remember what we did today," Levin said.
Freshman representative Sara Jacobs, D-53, also spoke on the house floor supporting impeachment.
"A violent mob threatened our lives in this chamber and almost succeeded incited by the president who broadcasted lies about the outcome of our election," she said.
She also called for accountability for those responsible for last week's attack on the Capitol, adding, "If you don't have the highest level of accountability the first time this happens you’re more likely to have this happen again."
Rep. Scott Peters, D-52, also held the president and his false statements about election fraud responsible for the violence. He said wished Trump would resign, or his that the cabinet would use the 25th Amendment to remove him.
"I’m not happy about having to do this," Peters said right after the vote, "but the first thing I promised when I go to Congress is I raise my hand and say I'm going to defend my country against all enemies foreign and domestic. And that’s what we’re doing today. I hate that we have to do this, I hadn’t planned on it but I think it’s — absolutely under these circumstances — it was the right thing to do. It was the only thing to do."
Peters, Jacobs and Levin all told KPBS they heard overwhelmingly from constituents to support impeachment. They were joined in their vote by Rep. Juan Vargas, who on Saturday called Trump a threat to national security. He urged the Senate to act in the best interest of the American people.
“I urge Mitch McConnell to act immediately in the best interest of the American people,” Vargas said in a statement. “Keeping him (Trump) in office is a threat to our national security, he must be removed from office immediately. Trump has incited domestic terror throughout his entire term. Last week’s horrific actions are part of a string of violent attacks by white nationalist Trump supporters.”
McConnell has indicated he will not convene an emergency session of the Senate, all but ensuring that the impeachment trial will start after Jan. 19, the quickest the Senate can start under the current calendar.
In an interview after the vote, Peters cited one reason why he would have preferred resignation or invocation of the 25th Amendment, saying, "Now we have to spend part of the Biden presidency clearing up this mess."
