In a historic move, the US House of Representatives has voted to impeach President Donald Trump. This makes him only the third president in US history to be impeached. The House voted on two articles of impeachment – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
US lawmakers debated for six hours before voting on the articles of impeachment. Voting took place primarily along party lines and with the Democrats enjoying a majority in the House of Representatives, impeachment was the likely outcome. The matter will now move to the Senate to decide on the removal of Trump from office – an unlikely occurrence with the Republicans holding majority.
How they voted
On Article 1: Abuse of Power
Democrats: 229 yeas, 2 nays
Republicans: 195 nays
Independent: 1 yea
TOTAL: 230 yeas
197 nays
Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard, voted present.
On Article 2: Obstruction of Congress
Democrats: 228 yeas, 3 nays
Republicans: 195 nays
Independent: 1 yea
TOTAL: 229 yeas
198 nays
Representative Tulsi Gabbard once again voted present.
Gabbard's decision to not vote yea or nay came as surprise to many. The 2020 presidential candidate released the following statement after the vote – "After doing my due diligence in reviewing the 658-page impeachment report, I came to the conclusion that I could not in good conscience vote either yes or no. I could not in good conscience vote against impeachment because I believe President Trump is guilty of wrongdoing. I also could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting president must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country."
Reactions
Donald Trump acknowledged the impeachment while addressing a rally in Michigan, saying, "Every single Republican voted for us. We didn't lose one Republican vote. The Republican Party has never been so affronted but they have never been so united as they are right now… With today’s illegal unconstitutional and partisan impeachment, the do-nothing Democrats are declaring their deep hatred and disdain for the American voter.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said after the vote that while this was "a great day for the Constitution" it was "a sad day for America".
“I could not be prouder or more inspired by the moral courage of the House Democrats. We never asked one of them how they were going to vote. We never whipped this vote,” she said.