- The Washington Times - Friday, May 31, 2019

Rep. Matt Cartwright said Friday Democrats need to stop their calls of impeaching President Trump and instead focus on a different I-word.

“The I-word is something that we all have to start talking about and that word is infrastructure, it’s not impeachment,” the Pennsylvania Democrat said on CNN’s “New Day.”

“The Democrats in the swing districts … talked about infrastructure,” Mr. Cartwright said. “At long last, repairing our roads and bridges and our rail systems and our water systems and our sewer systems and bringing broadband internet to rural areas.

“We promised those things, and they haven’t been happening,” he said. “They didn’t happen in the first two years of this administration when everything was in Republican control, and we’re pushing that now.”

Mr. Trump curtailed a May 22 meeting with Democratic leaders on infrastructure, saying he couldn’t work with Democrats because of their multiple House investigations of him and his administration.

Mr. Cartwright said both Democrats and the president promised their bases progress would be made on infrastructure.

“He promised infrastructure,” he said. “He talked about how he’s a builder. But when leadership goes over to the White House last week for their second meeting about infrastructure, it lasts three minutes and blows up over the president insisting that no more oversight take place.

“He’s asking for the Congress to not do its constitutional duty to overlook what’s happening at the White House in exchange for an infrastructure package? That’s a non-starter,” he said.

Mr. Cartwright said he was a “no” on impeachment, adding he wants continued investigations and the executive branch to have a “’T’ for transparency.”

• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.