Saturday, South Carolina Republicans issued a formal censure to U.S. Republican Tom Rice to show disapproval over his vote in support of the second impeachment of former President Donald J. Trump.
Rep. Rice was among 10 GOP representatives who joined Democrats on Jan. 13 in voting to impeach President Trump. The basis for impeachment was Trump’s role in the violence at the U.S. Capitol just a week earlier.
A day after his vote, Rice told the Associated Press, ‘”it hurts my heart” to have gone against the president’. Despite also going against his constituents who voted heavily for Trump, Rice remained convicted after seeing what he characterized as inaction during the break-ins.
. #ICYMI Last night I talked with @TreyPaulTV about why I voted to impeach Donald Trump. https://t.co/Pq21lS1eZ6
— Congressman Tom Rice (@RepTomRice) January 27, 2021
GOP Censure May Be ‘Political Suicide’
A party-level formal censure is not common; however, more may be forthcoming if the parties are unable to work towards bipartisanship. The last one issued within the GOP was 2009. Given to then Gov. Mark Sanford after he fled the state to spend 5 days with an Argentinian lover.
