HOUSE DEMOCRATS PRESENT ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST DONALD TRUMP
*It’s happening. History is unfolding right before our very eyes. Tuesday morning (12-10-19) House Democrats unveiled two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump.
That action lays the groundwork for a vote that could see the president become just the third American leader in history to be impeached.
here are the articles of impeachment:
One is abuse of power linked to his demand that the Ukrainian president investigate a political rival,
The second is obstructing Congress in its effort to investigate the behavior.
The announcement of the articles was made by House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), flanked by House Democratic leadership, during a news conference on Capitol Hill.
“The president holds the ultimate public trust,” Nadler said. “When he betrays that trust and puts himself before country, he endangers the Constitution, he endangers our democracy, and he endangers our national security.”
Democrats signaled on Monday that the chamber’s investigations were coming to a close after current and former administration officials testified about Trump’s behavior during a whirlwind month of House impeachment hearings.
In a series of bombshell revelations, the aides detailed an effort by Trump and his aides to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into a prime Democratic rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, and Biden’s son, Hunter. Democrats cast the demand as a clear quid pro quo in which Trump would release nearly $400 million in security aid and arrange a coveted visit to the White House for the newly elected Ukrainian leader.
Republicans, however, have largely remained steadfast behind the president, accusing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her leadership team of attempting to overturn the 2016 election and unfairly attacking the president. The GOP has admitted that Trump made the demand of Ukraine, but said there is no evidence that it amounted to a quid pro quo.
The House Judiciary Committee, tasked with drafting the articles against Trump, laid out its case against the president during a marathon day of hearings on Monday that saw several dramatic clashes with Republican lawmakers.
Trump’s “pattern of misconduct undermines our national security and our free and fair elections,” Nadler (D-N.Y.) said in his closing remarks Monday, calling the president’s conduct “clearly impeachable.”
Nadler added: “In abusing his office in this manner, and in obstructing the investigation that followed, we know that President Trump has put himself before his country.”
The bottom line is this: If Trump is impeached, the Senate, controlled by Republicans with a 53-47 majority, would hold a trial that’s likely to begin early next year.
To remove a president, a two-thirds majority vote is required, meaning about 20 GOP lawmakers would need to join all Democratic senators in voting to remove Trump.
At this point, the odds strongly favor Trump not being removed. But we shall see.