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With a rap of the gavel, House gets to work on historic impeachment day Dry procedures and impassioned speeches precede historic impeachment vote
(about 3 hours later)
At 9am, members of the House came together to begin the extraordinary process of impeaching Donald Trump House holds daylong debate over two articles of impeachment against Trump, which will culminate in a night vote
At precisely 9am, with only a handful of lawmakers present and the public gallery nearly empty, a voice boomed across the decorous chamber: “All rise.” At precisely 9am, with only a handful of lawmakers present and the public gallery nearly empty, a voice boomed across the decorous chamber, where the House of Representatives was preparing to impeach the president of the United States for only the third time in US history: “All rise.”
From atop the tiered speaker’s rostrum, Congresswoman Diana Degette, a Democrat from Colorado, who was chosen to preside over the day’s hearings, rapped the gavel once. “The House will be in order.” The rap of a gavel from atop the tiered speaker’s rostrum brought to order a daylong floor debate over the two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
So began the extraordinary process of impeaching the president of the United States for only the third time in American history on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The subdued start – though in contrast to the public gallery, the press gallery was standing room only – belied the drama that was to come later, as the dry procedural process gave way to impassioned speech-making, culminating in the historic vote after nightfall.
The sparsely attended early stage of Wednesday’s solemn event belied the drama that was to come later, as the dry procedural process would give way to full-blooded debate, culminating in the historic vote after nightfall. Patrick Conroy, the chaplain of the House of Representatives, opened the session with an appeal to America’s better angels.
Father Patrick Conroy, the chaplain of the House of Representatives, opened the debate with an appeal to America’s better angels. “As the members take this time to consider far-reaching legislation and consider historic constitutional action, give them wisdom and discernment,” Conroy said in prayer. Help them and help us all.”
“As the members take this time to consider far-reaching legislation and consider historic constitutional action, give them wisdom and discernment,” Conroy said, raising his hands in blessing. “Help them to realize that your constituency is wider and broader than ever we could imagine or reach. Help them and help us all.” In the age of political tribalism, his words did little to heal the partisan breach, underscored by the carpeted-aisle splitting the House chamber in two: Democrats on the right, Republicans on the left, depending on one’s perspective. Nearly three months after the start of a formal impeachment inquiry – that included weeks of dramatic testimony, charged debate, and significant revelations – there were no major change of hearts or minds.
But in the age of political tribalism, those words were quickly washed away, erased by the carpeted-aisle splitting the House chamber in two: Democrats on the right, Republicans on the left, depending on one’s perspective. And so on Wednesday, one by one, under the gaze of a portrait of George Washington, the nation’s first president, representatives from one side of America’s political divide rose to decry the circumstances that brought them to this very moment.
Under the gaze of a portrait of George Washington, the nation’s first president, Congressman Andy Biggs, a Republican of Arizona and a staunch ally of Donald Trump, motioned to adjourn the proceedings, a dilatory tactic meant to forestall the inevitable. “I solemnly and sadly open the debate on the impeachment of the president of the United States,” said House speaker Nancy Pelosi, dressed in black in the somberness of the hour.
“So we can stop wasting America’s time on impeachment, I move that the House do now adjourn,” he asked, calling for a vote. The Democratic-controlled House summarily rejected the request. Democrats sat quietly in their seats, while the Republican side remained largely empty, as the Speaker made her closing argument in favor of an impeachment she never wanted. The articles of impeachment assert that Trump abused his office by pressuring Ukraine to target his US political rivals in order to help his 2020 reelection campaign, and then obstructed Congress by refusing to cooperate with its inquiry.
Then, after some parliamentary maneuvering, the House voted 228 to 197 to clear the way for six hours of debate. The vote offered a glimpse of how members will vote on the articles of impeachment, scheduled for Wednesday evening, an early sign that Democrats had largely unified behind the House’s effort to remove the president from office. “If we do not act now we would be derelict in our duty,” she said. “It is tragic that the president’s reckless actions make impeachment necessary. He gave us no choice.”
“I solemnly and sadly open the debate on the impeachment of the president of the United States,” said House speaker Nancy Pelosi, dressed in black. In the chamber, Democrats sat quietly in their seats, while the Republican side remained largely empty. When she finished speaking, Democrats gave her a standing ovation as Republicans sought to quiet them, shouting: “Regular order!”
The Speaker laid out the case for an impeachment trial she had hoped to avoid. The articles of impeachment assert that Trump abused his office by pressuring Ukraine to target his US political rivals in order to help his 2020 reelection campaign, and then obstructed Congress by refusing to cooperate with its inquiry.
“If we do not act now,” Pelosi said, “we would be derelict in our duty. It is tragic that the president’s reckless actions make impeachment necessary. He gave us no choice.”
When she finished speaking, Democrats gave her a standing ovation as Republicans chanted: “Regular order!”
Doug Collins, the ranking member of the House judiciary committee, spoke first for Republicans, denouncing what he called a “poll-tested impeachment” that is “based on presumption” rather than fact.Doug Collins, the ranking member of the House judiciary committee, spoke first for Republicans, denouncing what he called a “poll-tested impeachment” that is “based on presumption” rather than fact.
“Today is going to be a lot of things,” he said. “What it is not is fair. What it is not is about the truth.”“Today is going to be a lot of things,” he said. “What it is not is fair. What it is not is about the truth.”
One by one, representatives from one side of America’s political divide rose to debate on the merits of impeachment. At this stage, members mostly returned to the arguments they had been making for months, but with amplified indignation to match the spirit of the occasion.
From the opposite end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the morning of the House vote – which arrived on the 1,062nd day of Trump’s presidency and almost 21 years to the day since the chamber voted to impeach president Bill Clinton – began like so many others in this new age of the presidential twitter-verse: with a stream of defiant Trump Tweets scattered among excessively-punctuated praise for his allies and all-caps condemnation of his political enemies, real and perceived. “Before you take this historic vote today, one week before Christmas, I want you to keep this in mind,” congressman Barry Loudermilk implored, “When Jesus was falsely accused of treason, Pontius Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to face his accusers. During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than the Democrats have afforded this president.”
Chris Stewart, a Republican from Utah insisted that Democrats not only hate the president but hate those who voted for him.
“They think we made a mistake,” he said. “They think Hillary Clinton should be the president and they want to fix that.”
“I would remind the gentleman if President Trump is impeached and removed, the new president would be Mike Pence, not Hillary Clinton,” quipped Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
After remarks by Texas congressman Louie Gohmert, one of the president’s fiercest allies, Nadler said it was “deeply concerned that any member of the House would spout Russian propaganda on the floor of the House.” Gohmert returned to the podium, shouting angrily and then approach Nadler. The men exchanged words and the tension eased.
From the opposite end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the morning of the House vote – which arrived on the 1,062nd day of Trump’s presidency and almost 21 years to the day since the chamber voted to impeach president Bill Clinton – began like so many others in this new age of the presidential twitter-verse: with a stream of defiant Trump Tweets. They yelled excessively-punctuated praise for the president’s allies and all-caps condemnation of his political enemies, real and perceived.
“Can you believe that I will be impeached today by the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, AND I DID NOTHING WRONG!” he tweeted at 7:34am. “A terrible Thing. Read the Transcripts. This should never happen to another President again. Say a PRAYER!”“Can you believe that I will be impeached today by the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, AND I DID NOTHING WRONG!” he tweeted at 7:34am. “A terrible Thing. Read the Transcripts. This should never happen to another President again. Say a PRAYER!”