The Articles of Impeachment written by Speaker Nancy Pelosi with the aid of her committee chairmen Rep. Jerry Nadler and Rep. Adam Schiff are now expected to go to the Senate for a trial wherein Senators will serve as jurors, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts.
The two articles of impeachment passed as follows:
Article 1: Abuse of Power: 230 YEA vs 197 NAY vs 1 PRESENT
Two Democrats – Petersen and Van Drew voted ‘NAY’ on Abuse of Power while one – believed to be Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard – simply voted “Present” – a form of abstention.
Article 2: Obstruction of Congress: 229 YEA vs 198 NAY vs 1 PRESENT
Three Democrats – Petersen, Van Drew, and Golden voted ‘No’ on Obstruction of Congress. Tulsi Gabbard voted “Present”.
The news came as President Trump rallied with thousands of his supporters in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Speaking from the podium, Trump declared, “It doesn’t feel like we’re being impeached!” The President also celebrated the unity of the Republican Party in the vote, while Democrats suffered an albeit small dissent.
The articles of impeachment will now be forwarded to the Senate, though Speaker Pelosi has refused to lay out a timeline on the matter.
Trump joins Andrew Johnson (impeached in 1868) and Clinton (1999) as the third ever U.S. President to be impeached. No President has ever been removed from office as a result of impeachment. While President Nixon was the subject of impeachment proceedings, he resigned from office before the Senate trial portion of the process.
