It was a history-making vote in the House today, where Democrats led a second impeachment effort against President Donald J. Trump.
The House voted 232-197 to impeach Trump.
This marks the first time a president has faced impeachment not just once, but twice.
In the lead-up to today’s vote, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle gave speeches about the merits of the article to impeach, which accuses President Trump of “inciting an insurrection” by encouraging his supporters to march to the Capitol, followed by the deadly riot just one week ago.
CBN News has been tracking the proceedings since calls for impeachment began, pretty much as soon as the riots started last Wednesday.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said, “We know that we face the enemies of the Constitution. We know we experienced the insurrection that violated the sanctity of the people’s capital. And attempted to overturn the duly recorded will of the American people. And we know that the president of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion against our common country. He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love.”
Here’s a relevant portion of the US Constitution that the House was considering:
Fourteenth Amendment – Section 3
No Person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
A majority of Republicans stood against impeachment. But several, including the number three GOP leader in the House, believe the president committed an impeachable offense.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House minority leader, had stood against the impeachment saying, “A vote to impeach would further divide this nation. A vote to impeach will further fan the flames of partisan division. Most Americans want neither inaction nor retribution. They want durable bipartisan justice… That doesn’t mean the president is free from fault. The president bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters.”
It’s unclear if the Republican-led Senate will take up the impeachment case before Joe Biden is sworn in as president and Democrats take control of the Senate. {eoa}
Reprinted with permission from CBN.com. Copyright The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. All rights reserved.
