Panel vote sends Trump impeachment charges to full House
WASHINGTON
(AP) — Democrats propelled President Donald Trump’s impeachment toward a
historic vote by the full U.S. House as the Judiciary Committee on
Friday approved charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
It’s the latest major step in the constitutional and political storm
that has divided Congress and the nation.
The House is expected to approve the two articles of impeachment next week, before lawmakers depart for the holidays.
The
partisan split in the committee vote — 23 Democrats to 17 Republicans —
reflects the atmosphere in Congress. The Democratic-majority House is
expected to approve the charges against Trump next week, but the
Republican-controlled Senate is likely to acquit him after a January
trial.
Trump is accused, in the first article, of abusing his presidential power by asking Ukraine to investigate his 2020 rival Joe Biden while holding military aid as leverage, and, in the second, of obstructing Congress by blocking the House’s efforts to probe his actions.
“Today
is a solemn and sad day,” Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., told
reporters after the session, marking the third time in U.S. history the
panel had voted to recommend impeaching a president. He said the full
House would act ”expeditiously.”‘
After the milestone votes,
Trump’s press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, labeled the proceedings a
“desperate charade” and said, “The President looks forward to receiving
in the Senate the fair treatment and due process which continues to be
disgracefully denied to him by the House.”
Voting was swift and
solemn, with none of the fiery speeches and weighty nods to history that
defined the previous two days of debate, including 14 hours that
stretched nearly to midnight Thursday. Nadler abruptly halted that
rancorous session so voting could be held in daylight, for all
Americans to see.
Nadler, who had said he wanted lawmakers to
“search their consciences” before casting their votes, gaveled in the
landmark but brief morning session at the Capitol.
Lawmakers responded “aye” or “yes” for the Democrats, and simple:”no’s” from the Republicans.
“The article is agreed to,” Nadler declared after each vote.
The top Republican on the panel Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia immediately said he would file dissenting views.
Minutes after the morning session opened, it was gaveled shut.
Trump is only the fourth U.S. president to face impeachment proceedings
and the first to be running for reelection at the same time. The
outcome of the eventual House votes pose potentially serious political
consequences for both parties ahead of the 2020 elections, with
Americans deeply divided over whether the president indeed conducted
impeachable acts and if it should be up to Congress, or the voters, to
decide whether he should remain in office.
The president took to
Twitter early Friday to praise the panel’s Republicans as “warriors.”
After the vote he said at the White House that Democrats were making
fools of themselves, describing the proceedings as he often does: “a
witch hunt,” “scam,” and ”hoax.”
Trump insisted anew that when
he asked Ukraine to “do us a favor’,’ in the July phone call that
sparked impeachment, he was referring to the U.S., not a political favor
for himself. He derided the government officials who testified that he
pressured Ukraine and claimed he was benefiting politically from
impeachment.
The president has refused to participate in the
proceedings, tweeting criticisms as he did Thursday from the sidelines,
mocking the charges against him in the House’s nine-page resolution as “impeachment light.” But House Speaker Pelosi said the president was wrong and the case against him is deeply grounded.
Democrats
contend that Trump has engaged in a pattern of misconduct toward Russia
dating back to the 2016 election campaign that special counsel Robert Mueller investigated.
And they say his dealings with Ukraine have benefited its aggressive
neighbor Russia, not the U.S., and he must be prevented from
“corrupting” U.S. elections again and cheating his way to a second term
next year.
“It is urgent,” Pelosi said.
But Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell said late Thursday on Fox News, “There is zero
chance the president will be removed from office.” He said he was hoping
to have no GOP defections in the Senate trial next year.
The Judiciary Committee session drew out over two days, much of time spent in fights over amendments.
Rep.
David Cicilline, D-R.I., argued there was “overwhelming evidence” that
the president with his lawyer Rudy Giuliani, in pushing Ukraine to
investigate rival Biden, was engaged in an abuse of power “to corrupt
American elections.″
Bringing even more attention to the
situation, Giuliani showed up at the White House on Friday. Just back
from Ukraine, hei was expected to brief Trump on his search for
information. Many GOP lawmakers are trying to ignore Giuliani, blaming
him for Trump’s predicament.
After lawmakers trudged through two days of hearings, tempers still flared Friday.
Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz said, “For Democrats, impeachment is their drug, it is their obsession, it is their total focus.”
“My
vote is no,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas. Then, before the tally
was announced, he inquired how his vote was recorded by the clerk. “I
want to make sure.”
Nadler said late Thursday night, after
presiding over the two-day session, “I want the members on both sides of
the aisle to think about what has happened over these past two days and
to search their consciences before they cast their final votes.”
The
Republicans on the panel, blindsided by the move to Friday, were livid.
When Nadler announced it, they started yelling “unbelievable” and “they
just want to be on TV.” Congress was to be out of session on Friday,
and many lawmakers had other plans, some outside Washington.
“This
is the kangaroo court that we’re talking about” stormed Rep. Doug
Collins of Georgia, the top Republican on the panel, who said he had not
been consulted on the decision.
Debate over amendments had
dragged on with familiar arguments: Democrats cited evidence they said
showed Trump’s misconduct, while Republicans insisted the entire
investigation was bogus. Typical was the first amendment, offered by GOP
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who tried to delete the first charge against
Trump. “This amendment strikes article one because article one ignores
the truth,” he declared.
Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., argued
there was “overwhelming evidence” that the president with his lawyer
Rudy Giuliani, in pushing Ukraine to investigate rival Biden, was
engaged in an abuse of power “to corrupt American elections.″
It was defeated, 23-17, on a party line vote, as were all the others that followed.
___
Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman, Alan Fram, and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report.