WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — Since the events of January 6, you’ve seen a huge push for impeachment, but there are still many lawmakers who stand against it, calling it a waste of time.
“We’re going to jump right back into what we’ve been going through for the last five years and stirring it up again with the trial and it’s just going to be bad for the country, it really is,” said Florida Senator Marco Rubio.
On Fox News Sunday, Rubio says he stands against the push for an impeachment trial.
“The first chance I get to vote to end this trial, I’ll do it cause I think it’s really bad for America,” Rubio said.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul (R) has called the impeachment proceedings a “sham.”
Paul notably went on ABC’s This Week this weekend and repeated false claims that there was widespread election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The claims from Republicans since the election set the stage for the “Stop the Steal” rally and subsequent Capitol riots Jan. 6.
“The debate over whether or not there is fraud should occur,” Paul said. “You’re saying that there is no fraud and it’s all been investigated and that’s just not true,” Paul said to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
Paul continued to share those false claims, despite pushback from Stephanopoulos. Republican and Democratic election officials, as well former President Trump’s Department of Justice, have repeatedly said there was no widespread fraud that could’ve changed the outcome of the election.
On CNN’s State of the Union, Utah Senator Mitt Romney said his GOP colleagues cannot deny the legitimacy of a trial for the former president.
“What is being alleged and what we saw, which is incitement to insurrection, is an impeachable offense. If not what is,” Romney said.
While this is going on, lawmakers are in the process of getting another COVID relief bill out.
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar told ABC’s This Week, she’s confident Congress can balance all of its priorities.
“They need help and I thoroughly believe that we can handle this impeachment trial and just as the American people are doing, juggle what we need to get done,” Klobuchar said.
If everything goes through, the impeachment trial is expected to begin on February 8.