The House of Representatives is on track to impeach President Trump for the second time in 13 months — which would make him as the only president to receive the rebuke twice.
This time, though, impeachment could be bipartisan. Republicans all opposed the House vote in December 2019, arguing that it was politically driven. But now some GOP lawmakers are joining Democrats in pointing the finger at the president for using rhetoric that helped spark a violent insurrection at the Capitol last Wednesday that left at least five dead.
The impeachment resolution on the House floor Wednesday, consisting of an article citing “incitement of insurrection,” will be debated on the House floor. Sponsors of the resolution maintain they have the votes to pass it.
The resolution states: “President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.”
The impeachment resolution on the House floor Wednesday includes one article, citing “incitement of insurrection,” will be debated on the House floor. Sponsors of the resolution maintain they have the votes already to pass it.
The resolution states: “President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.”
The House Judiciary committee released a report Tuesday evening that lay out the events of the stunning siege at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and the argument that the president posed an “imminent threat” and that “his continued presence in office is a clear and present danger to the United States.”
It concluded: “The facts establish that he is unfit to remain in office a single day longer, and warrant the immediate impeachment of President Trump.”
According to the planned schedule, the House is expected to approve the resolution in the afternoon. Almost every member of the House Democratic caucus has co-sponsored the resolution.
President Trump on Tuesday criticized the effort to impeach him for a second time, defending the speech he made last week to his supporters where he urged them to go to the Capitol where Congress was certifying that Joe Biden had won the election. A violent mob then stormed the building, forcing Vice President Pence, lawmakers and staff to seek shelter.
The president, pressed by reporters traveling with him on a trip to Alamo, Texas, what his role and responsibility was for the violence, insisted he was not to blame.
“They’ve analyzed my speech and my words and my final paragraph, my final sentence, and everybody to the T thought it was totally appropriate,” Trump said. But his speech has been condemned widely, including by Republicans, for setting off the riot.
How The Process Will Work And What To Look For
Rule debate and vote setting parameters: The House will convene at 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday. After some housekeeping, lawmakers will begin debating the rule that establishes that there will be two hours of debate the impeachment resolution. After the House debates that rule, they vote on it — and possibly another procedural vote. Those are expected to pass mostly along party lines.
Debate on article of impeachment: The House will begin debate on the resolution, with the two hours divided equally between Republicans and Democrats. A lawmaker from each party manages debate, calling on members to speak and designating a set amount for each speech. The searing stories from some lawmakers who feared for their lives during last week’s insurrection could make for an emotional day.
