The U.S. House of Representatives voted largely along party lines on Wednesday (Jan. 13) to pass the impeachment bill by a vote of 232 to 197 after debate on the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump (Trump). All Democratic House members voted in favor of impeachment, as did 10 Republican House members, but the vast majority of Republican House members opposed impeachment.
This is the second time in President Trump’s term that he has been impeached, with only seven days left before his term expires. President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in on the 20th.
During the impeachment debate, Democrats who proposed the impeachment motion agreed that Trump should be held accountable for the January 6 mob attack on Congress, an act that undermines democracy and deserves to be impeached.
Republicans, on the other hand, have focused on three positions, arguing that: President Trump’s behavior was inappropriate, but not so inappropriate as to be impeached, and that the Democratic Party has advanced the process too quickly and with too many loopholes; that impeachment is divisive at a time when the United States needs to be united; and that the violence that occurred in the United States last summer was worse in terms of violence. In addition, 10 Republican lawmakers have chosen to join Democrats in voting for impeachment.
Pelosi: Trump must go McCarthy: Rush to push impeachment is wrong
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) opened the impeachment debate by saying, “President Trump has incited this riot (against the U.S. Congress) and is an armed rebellion against our country. He has to go. He is a clear and present threat (danger) to the country we love.”
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said last week’s storming of Congress was undemocratic, un-American and criminal, but it would be wrong to impeach the president on such short notice because there was no investigation, no hearing, and impeachment would further divide the country and exacerbate partisan divisions.
McCarthy said: “This does not mean that the president is not at fault, the president should be responsible for the attack on Congress on Wednesday (6). He should have condemned the mob as soon as he saw (the riot) happen.”
Rep. Jim Jordon, an Ohio Republican, said impeachment as President Trump is leaving office is not uniting the country and will not help allow America to heal from last week’s tragedy. He said everyone, including the Republican Party, has condemned the violence and that what is important now is to bring the country together.
Jordan accused the Democratic Party of being obsessive in its pursuit of Trump’s impeachment since the beginning of his presidency, which is to remove him from the presidency (obsession).
Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko (D-Calif.) said what’s the point of moving forward with impeachment when the president has only seven days left in office and the Senate is having trouble passing an impeachment bill anytime soon. She said Congress has certified the electoral votes and President Trump has said he will hand over power peacefully to Biden, and it’s time to unite America.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) just gave notice Wednesday that he would not agree to recall senators who are on vacation for an emergency session on impeachment, and that the earliest he could handle the matter would be after the 19th.
Several Republican House members support impeaching Trump
California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) called on Republican lawmakers to join them and “do the work you need to do.” He said many of his fellow Republicans know what the president is doing is wrong, but are afraid of upsetting him.
Later, Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington said, “The articles of impeachment are flawed (flawed), but I’m not going to use that as an excuse, there is no excuse for what President Trump has done.” He said that “turning a blind eye to a brutal attack on our republic is not an option,” so he will vote for impeachment.
Congressman Stirs Up Debate: Congressional Events v.s. Summer Riots
“Future generations will not know our names, but they will know what we did and why,” said Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-California, who said, “We must impeach President Trump for inciting a mob to attack the U.S. Congress, the the temple of American democracy.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, said “President Trump has faced hatred and resistance from big media, big tech companies and congressional leaders from both parties,” saying, “Speaker Pelosi, for one, stood at the podium on the House floor and tore up the president’s State of the Union speech, inciting anger, hatred and division.”
Gates said the American left has incited more political violence than the right. He also said some have invoked the metaphor of the president saying to light a fire; but what they (the left) are lighting is the real fire.
Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (D-Ga.) said, “President Trump has held more than 600 mass rallies in the last four years, and not once has he attacked a police officer, destroyed a business or set fire to the city. Instead, Democrats have supported helping violent riots that have caused billions of dollars in property damage and 47 deaths.”
Republicans: Hasty impeachment would only divide Democrats: Impeachment vote has nothing to do with timing
Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise, the minority whip, said near the end of the debate that he opposes the rushed impeachment process, which was pushed through without a hearing. He said, “The Senate won’t even hear impeachment until Biden is inaugurated, and impeachment will only divide the country, and what the country needs right now is healing.”
Rep. Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat and majority leader, said he is against the violence that has occurred, against spreading fear, against inciting rebellion and against putting loyalty to one man above loyalty to the country. He said the impeachment vote has nothing to do with timing, it is about the country, about principles, about loyalty to the Constitution.
As the House of Representatives was debating Trump’s impeachment, the White House press office released a statement from President Trump: “In light of reports that there will be more demonstrations, I urge that there be no violence, no law-breaking, no disruption of any kind. That’s not what I stand for, and that’s not what America stands for. I call on all Americans to help de-escalate tensions and calm emotions.”
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