US House of Representatives impeach President Donald Trump; hurdles not over yet
By Newsmeter Network Published on 19 Dec 2019 12:15 PM GMT
Washington DC: The American House of Representatives has impeached the United States President Donald Trump through voting on Wednesday. There have been several voices in the country accusing Trump of abusing his power in dealing with Ukraine and of obstructing Congress. Trump used his influence to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, who is the Democratic nominee for President in the 2020 election.
Donald Trump is the third President in the history of the United States to be impeached. The historic votes on Wednesday evening won the support of almost all Democrats in the House chamber but not a single Republican. There was a majority of 33 votes for the first article and a majority of 31 votes for the second article.
Right after Trump’s impeachment, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to say when or if she would send the impeachment articles to Senate for trial. At a news conference held after the vote, Pelosi said, “We will see what happens” when she was asked if she would send the articles to the Senate.
“President Trump abused his power, violated his oath of office, and betrayed our nation. It is a solemn moment for our country. However, in the United States of America, no one is above the law — not even the President,” tweeted Joe Biden, reacting to the impeachment.
President Trump abused his power, violated his oath of office, and betrayed our nation. This is a solemn moment for our country. But in the United States of America, no one is above the law — not even the President.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 19, 2019
“It doesn’t feel like we’re being impeached. The country is doing better than before, we did nothing wrong,” Trump said in a stage adorned with Christmas decorations.
A two-thirds majority of 67 senators is required to convict and remove the President. Republicans control the Senate, 53-47, and people widely expect Trump to be acquitted. However, Democrats have argued that impeaching him is a moral necessity, even if he remains in office.
