Today's momentous vote on impeachment was preceded by hours of ferocious debate from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Watch the moments you missed from a historic day of debate.
Donald Trump became only the third president in U.S. history to be impeached when the House on Wednesday approved an article accusing him of abuse of power.
"After three years of sinister witch hunts, hoaxes, scams, tonight the House Democrats are trying to nullify the ballots of tens of millions of patriotic Americans," Trump said in Battle Creek. The House Intelligence Committee chairman, who led the impeachment inquiry, is the last speaker for the Democratic side.
Hoyer, says this is the first time in his 38 years he has seen such"obvious wrongdoing" by the president. "We did not want this. However President Trump's conduct has forced our constitutional republic to protect itself," he says. "Sadly my Democratic colleagues have placed their credibility in the hands of members of the body that have no credibility left, members nobody trusts because they keep getting caught betraying America. But unless a bolt of courage and integrity strikes that side of the room in the next hour, history will reflect that Donald Trump is the third president to be impeached.
"This remedy was put in the Constitution for a reason. It's not an unconstitutional remedy. It is part of the Constitution. The only way you can conceive this as remedy as being unconstitutional is if you believe, as the president does, that he is the State," Schiff says. Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, says he would"enumerate in detail every high crime and misdemeanor committed by the president of the United States."5:13 p.m. About two hours of debate left before final votesThe U.S. Capitol is shown late on Dec. 18, 2019, in Washington prior to a vote on two articles of impeachment against President Trump.
"This impeachment isn’t legitimate, it's the radical left's insurance policy. But we have an insurance policy too. It's the next election and we intend to win it," he says.ABC's Ben Gittleson reports from the White House:Trump emerges from the Oval Office at 4:45 p.m.
Independent Rep. Justin Amash speaks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives prior to a vote on two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump in Washington, Dec. 18, 2019. "Our children and their children may ask us: what did you do? What did you say?" he says."We have a mission, and a mandate, to be on the right side of history."House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler hands off to House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff to continue making the Democratic case for impeachment as the debate reaches the halfway point, with final votes still expected early this evening.
"Many of my colleagues appear to have made their choice to protect the president, to enable him to be above the law, to empower this president to cheat again, as long as it is in the service of their party and their power. They've made their choice. Despite this president and the white house stonewalling every subpoena, every request for witnesses, and testimony from this co-equal, co-equal branch of government. They have made their choice," he says.3:03 p.m.
But today, ever since our team spotted her walking to the House chamber, she's been in place. She's spent the morning and early afternoon sitting with Democrats and listening to the floor debate, occasionally chatting with staffers and other lawmakers. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi arrives at the US Capitol, as the House readies for a historic vote on Dec. 18, 2019, in Washington.1:45 p.m. Conway on Democrats and impeachment: “This is a very sad, solemn day but not for the reason they think”
On the president's mood, she says,"His mood is fine. The president’s doing great. He's had some of the most successful weeks of his presidency these last few weeks with a lot of help from the United States Senate -- NDAA, Space Force, the economy is smashing records."ABC's Benjamin Siegel reports on this moment from the debate: Rep.
A group of schoolchildren walk through Statuary Hall while on a tour of the U.S. Capitol as debate on the articles of impeachment against President Trump continues on the House floor on Dec. 18, 2019, in Washington.1:25 p.m. GOP Rep. Ross Spano calls impeachment 'attempt to undo 2016 election' "This is an impeachment -- basically a poll-tested impeachment -- on what sells to the American people," Collins says.
"Abuse of power, because they can't actually pin anything of factual basis on him. The president did nothing wrong in this issue. And then they're going to talk about obstruction of Congress. You know, obstruction of Congress, as I've before, is like petulant children saying, 'We didn't get our way when we didn't ask the right way and we didn't try to go after and make a case.
She recites the section from the Pledge of Allegiance that reads"to the Republic for which it stands," adding,"a Republic, if you can keep it" citing a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi address the U.S. House floor in Washington, Dec. 18, 2019."As Speaker of the House, I solemnly and sadly open the debate on the impeachment of the president of the United States," she says.
After the rule governing the main debate passes -- House Clerk Joe Novotny reads the two articles of impeachment. In closing remarks before a vote on the rule governing the main debate over the impeachment resolution, Republican Rep. Tom Cole, Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, says that while he is"violently opposed" to the impeachment process in this case and sees it as unfair to the president, he still respects his colleagues on the other side of the aisle.
"To my Republican friends, imagine any Democratic president sitting in the Oval Office, president Obama, President Clinton, any of them, would your answer here still be the same? No one should be allowed to use the powers of the presidency to mine our elections. Period," he says. As of 10:30 a.m., Trump was still in the residence part of the White House and had not yet come over to the West Wing, according to White House officials .
Protesters supporting the impeachment of U.S. President Donald Trump gather outside the U.S. Capitol Dec. 18, 2019, in Washington. "And I tell you what, I never dreamed in a million years that I would be standing here today as a congresswoman in the United States House of representatives. And I tell you what, I never would have believed that I would be standing here talking about impeachment of a president of the United States."
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has moved to table -- put off consideration -- of McCarthy's amendment alleging Schiff and Nadler abused their power. ABC's Benjamin Siegel reports from the chamber that a large group of House Republicans - mostly members of the conservative Freedom Caucus - already gathered in their seats on the GOP side of the mostly-empty chamber. We have expected procedural tricks from the get-go, and they all look ready to challenge proceedings on that front.
An aide to Speaker Pelosi tells ABC News she asked DeGette, of Colorado, to preside today for the entire debate as Speaker Pro Tempore. Pelosi is expected to preside over both votes on articles of impeachment and speak at the opening of general debate.The House Rules Committee decided late Tuesday to debate the articles of impeachment in the full House for six hours Wednesday. That would put a vote on track for late in the afternoon or early evening.
President Donald Trump and his team go into the day defiant as ever. Rudy Giuliani is practically daring Democrats to up their ante, and Trump himself offered an angry letter he said he hoped history would remember. One Democrat said he would vote only for one of the articles and two have not said how they will vote. Rep. Jeff Van Drew has said he will vote against impeachment and there are reports he will change his party affiliation to become a Republican.
"Can you believe that I will be impeached today by the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, AND I DID NOTHING WRONG! A terrible Thing. Read the Transcripts. This should never happen to another President again. Say a PRAYER!," he says. Every House Republican -- including the three remaining members from districts carried by Hillary Clinton in 2016 -- appeared ready to vote against impeaching Trump on Wednesday.
"The testimony and evidence put forth led me to a clear conclusion," Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., a freshman in a seat formerly held by House GOP Speaker Dennis Hastert, said in a statement Tuesday.Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, a former Marine who served in Afghanistan and appeared to be the only House member preparing to split his vote, announcing Tuesday that he would vote to charge Trump with abusing power, but not with obstructing Congress.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
Lara Trump Says Impeachment Push Will Get Donald Trump Re-Elected (Exclusive)The President's daughter-in-law claims that the push to impeach Donald Trump is only going to push him right back into the White House — for four more years.
Consulte Mais informação »
Donald Trump Impeached by House of Representatives Over Ukraine ScandalTrump is the third president in United States history to face removal from office by the Senate
Consulte Mais informação »
Democratic defectors unable to prevent impeachment of President Donald Trump by the HouseThe defectors weren't enough to stop the House from impeaching, as Democrats corralled support from all corners of their caucus, including vulnerable members from Trump districts.
Consulte Mais informação »