Charged With Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress, Trump Impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives

US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base as the US House of Representatives debates his impeachment on December 18, 2019, in Maryland. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Charged With Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress, Trump Impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives

"Every single Republican in the House of Representatives became an accomplice to Trump's subversion of our democracy. By failing to impeach Donald Trump, GOP lawmakers showed their blind loyalty to their party and to a corrupt president—and history will remember them for the cowards they are."

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"Today, every single Republican in the House of Representatives became an accomplice to Trump's subversion of our democracy. By failing to impeach Donald Trump, GOP lawmakers showed their blind loyalty to their party and to a corrupt president--and history will remember them for the cowards they are." --Sean Eldridge, Stand Up AmericaThe U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday night--for just the third time in the nation's history--impeached a sitting U.S. president.

With separate votes on the two articles of impeachment set forth by the Democratic majority--one for abuse of power and the other for obstruction of Congress--the vote, while not unexpected after a marathon debate that lasted more than eight hours throughout the day, was nonetheless historic.

The final vote on the first article was 230 to 197, largely along partisan lines. One member did not vote. Not one Republican voted in favor, while just two Democrats--Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota--joined the GOP in voting against.

The final vote on the second article, focused on the obstruction of Congress charge, was passed by a vote of 229 to 198. In addition to Van Drew and Peterson, the third Democrat to join Republicans was Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, who sparked scorn from all sides Tuesday for declaring his intention to vote for the first article but against the second. The one member of the House to vote present for both the first and the second article of impeachment was Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), also a 2020 presidential candidate.

In response to the impeachment vote, Sean Eldridge, founder and president of the progressive advocacy group Stand Up America, said: "Today, the House of Representatives performed its constitutional duty by standing up for our democracy and standing up to the criminal in the White House. By voting to impeach Donald Trump, patriots affirmed that no one--not even the president of the United States--is above the law."

"The American people deserve a president who puts what's best for the nation before what's best for them politically. President Trump refused to do that." --Karen Hobert Flynn, Common CauseAt the same time, Eldridge called out the GOP members for shirking their constitutional duty. "Today," he said, "every single Republican in the House of Representatives became an accomplice to Trump's subversion of our democracy. By failing to impeach Donald Trump, GOP lawmakers showed their blind loyalty to their party and to a corrupt president--and history will remember them for the cowards they are."

Other progressive groups joined in applauding the House for fulfilling its constitutional duty to hold a lawless president to account.

Trump's impeachment, said Common Cause president Karen Hobert Flynn, "was unfortunate but absolutely necessary to safeguard our democracy and curb the president's ongoing and blatant abuse of the powers of his office. The American people deserve a president who puts what's best for the nation before what's best for them politically. President Trump refused to do that."

"The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable, Donald J. Trump sought foreign interference in our elections, bribed a foreign government to get political dirt on his political opponent, covered up his crimes, and then obstructed Congress' investigation into his crimes," said Rahna Epting, the executive director of MoveOn.

"Today's bold and decisive action by the House has finally held the most corrupt president in our nation's history accountable for his actions."

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