House
Judiciary Committee approves impeachment articles against President Trump along
party lines. Two articles of impeachment against President Trump move to the
full House for a vote.
The House Judiciary Committee on Friday voted to adopt
two articles of impeachment against President Trump –
capping a contentious three-day session that Republicans panned as a “kangaroo
court” and teeing up a historic floor vote right before the holiday break.
The committee adopted both articles, alleging abuse of
power and obstruction of Congress, on a party-line vote of 23-17. A final roll
call in the full House is expected next week, which could trigger a Senate
trial in the new year just as presidential primaries are set to get underway.
"Today is a solemn and sad day," Chairman Jerry
Nadler, D-N.Y., told reporters after the vote. "For the third time in a
little over a century and a half, the House Judiciary Committee has voted
articles of impeachment against the president -- for abuse of
power and obstruction of Congress. The House will act expeditiously."
After the vote, the White House released a scathing
statement, dismissing the inquiry as a "charade."
"This desperate charade of an impeachment inquiry in
the House Judiciary Committee has reached its shameful end," White House
press secretary Stephanie Grisham 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."
The committee vote was preceded by fireworks on Thursday night, when Nadler
infuriated Republicans by wrapping up the hearing just before midnight and
postponing the votes until the morning -- saying he wanted members on both
sides of the aisle "to think about what has happened over these last two
days, and to search their consciences before we cast their final votes."
That led to Republicans decrying what they called a
“bush-league stunt” by Nadler to make sure the vote would be carried on daytime
television.
"Mr. Chairman, there was no consulting with the
ranking member on your schedule for tomorrow -- you just blew up schedules for
everyone?" Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., said. "You chose not to consult
the ranking member on a scheduling issue of this magnitude? This is the
kangaroo court we're talking about.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapa, D-Wash., defended the Democrats'
decision to postpone, saying it would be "disrespectful" to vote so
late at night.
"We Democrats felt it was really important to take
this vote to impeach the president of the United States in the daylight so
everybody could see what was happening," she said on MSNBC. "It felt
like a terrible, disrespectful thing to do to the American people to take that
in the middle of the night."
But on Friday, the committee moved hastily through
proceedings, taking less than 15 minutes to vote on the articles of
impeachment.
Republicans have repeatedly and loudly objected to the
impeachment inquiry, which focuses on Trump’s July 25 conversation with
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he pressed Zelensky to “look
into” supposed Ukraine interference in the 2016 election and the conduct of
former Vice President Joe Biden (a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate) in
the country.
Democrats have alleged that the conversation was part of
a quid pro quo in which Ukraine would conduct investigations into Trump’s
political rivals in exchange for then-withheld military aid and a White House
meeting.
Trump has strongly denied those claims and decried the
probe as a “witch hunt.” Hours before the vote, Trump declared that poll
numbers "have gone through the roof" against impeachment, especially
in swing states.
---
Poll numbers have gone
through the roof in favor of No Impeachment, especially with Swing States and
Independents in Swing States. People have figured out that the Democrats have
no case, it is a total Hoax. Even Pelosi admitted yesterday that she began this
scam 2 1/2 years ago!
---
"People have figured out that the Democrats have no
case, it is a total Hoax," he declared.
The articles are likely to pass in the House, although
questions have been raised about moderate Democrats in districts that voted for
Trump in 2016 -- many of whom have not said whether they will vote for
impeachment.
Should the articles pass the full House, the debate will
shift to the Senate for an impeachment trial -- where the Republican-controlled
chamber would be expected to easily acquit the president.
Fox News' Gregg Re and Chad Pergram
contributed to this report.
Adam Shaw is a reporter covering U.S. and
European politics for Fox News.. He can be reached here.
