U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, shown in this file shot meeting with members of the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club during the federal government shutdown this past winter, said he will wait to announce his thoughts on impeaching President Donald Trump until after Special Council Robert Mueller III testifies today. (Jesse Major/Peninsula Daily News)

U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, shown in this file shot meeting with members of the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club during the federal government shutdown this past winter, said he will wait to announce his thoughts on impeaching President Donald Trump until after Special Council Robert Mueller III testifies today. (Jesse Major/Peninsula Daily News)

Kilmer awaiting Mueller testimony before taking stance on impeachment

PORT ANGELES — U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer is waiting for Special Counsel Robert Mueller III to testify and for evidence to be made public before deciding whether President Donald Trump should be impeached, he said last week.

In a statement, Kilmer said that with Mueller scheduled to testify today before the House Judiciary Committee and House Intelligence Committee, there are still questions about the conclusions of Mueller’s report.

“Congress must further investigate these issues, follow the facts and take this one step at a time,” Kilmer said.

“If the evidence is clear, America cannot and should not condone obstruction of justice or a willingness to benefit from the help of a foreign adversary in the midst of a campaign.”

The Gig Harbor Democrat voted last week with the majority of the House to table Rep. Al Green’s resolution calling for articles of impeachment against the president.

The house voted 332 to 95, with one present, to kill the resolution after Green forced a vote July 17.

While Kilmer is not calling for impeachment, he joined the majority of the House in condemning the president’s recent attack on four congresswomen as “racist.”

That vote passed July 16 with a near-party-line vote of 240 to 187.

Trump said in a tweet Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan should “go back” to their countries, though three were born in the United States and all are U.S. citizens.

“Tried to explain this to my nine year old and couldn’t come up with anything other than that it is just plain racist and wrong,” Kilmer said in a tweet.

Kilmer represents the 6th Congressional District, which includes the North Olympic Peninsula.

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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com.