Sen. Rob Portman and Rep. Steve Chabot aren't as eager to impeach the president of the United States as they were 20 years ago.

The step the Democrats have taken to consider impeaching President Donald Trump prompted sharp rebukes from Portman and Chabot.

They had no such qualms two decades earlier when they called for President Bill Clinton's ouster.

Chabot today

Chabot, a Republican from Westwood, used the House Democrats' impeachment inquiry to ask donors for money.

Never in his life has he seen a president "subjected to these kinds of hyperbolic claims, misleading accusations and partisan attacks," Chabot wrote in a fundraising email sent Tuesday night.

"I have an obligation to the people of the 1st District of Ohio to stop this misuse of congressional power to advance a partisan agenda," Chabot said in the email. "I will vigorously oppose this impeachment sideshow in Washington, because I believe that in the people's House, we should be focused on doing the people's business."

Chabot then

When Clinton was in office, Chabot not only called for impeachment on perjury and obstruction of justice charges, he led the effort. In 1998, Chabot served as one of the 13-floor managers who presented the case for impeachment to lawmakers.

He told Congress at the time his children "witnessed the president of the United States shamelessly lie to the American people."

"No person stands above the law. All Americans -- no matter how rich, how powerful, how well connected – should be held accountable for their actions," Chabot said in 1998. "Every American must be held accountable."

Portman then

Portman, then a member of the U.S. House in 1998, also joined the chorus of Republican voices calling for Clinton to be impeached.

"I believe the evidence of serious wrongdoing is simply too compelling to be swept aside," Portman said in 1998. "I’m particularly troubled by the clear evidence of lying under oath, and the truth must be the bedrock of our judicial system."

Portman today

Now, the Terrace Park Republican sees the impeachment discussion as a distraction.

"The American people want us to get things done for them rather than focus on more and more partisan investigations," Portman said in a statement. "The Democrats’ impeachment inquiry will distract Congress from the bipartisan legislative work we should be doing to find solutions and deliver results for the American people."