Democrats look to approve impeachment articles ahead of U.S. House floor
vote
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[December 12, 2019]
By David Morgan and James Oliphant
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of
Representatives is expected on Thursday to take its most concrete step
yet in impeaching Donald Trump, when a key committee clears the way for
a full House vote formally accusing him of high crimes and misdemeanors.
The Democratic-controlled committee is expected, over Republican
objections, to approve two formal articles of impeachment, which will
allow a vote by the House next week that is likely to result in Trump
becoming the third president in U.S. history to be impeached.
Following a House vote to impeach Trump for abuse of power and
obstruction of Congress, the charges would go to the Senate for a trial.
The Republican-led chamber is unlikely to vote to remove Trump from
office.
Democrats accuse Trump of abusing his power by trying to force Ukraine
to investigate political rival Joe Biden and of obstructing Congress
when lawmakers tried to look into the matter. Biden is a leading
contender for the Democratic nomination to run against Trump next year.
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The Republican president has denied wrongdoing and condemned the
impeachment inquiry as a hoax.
On Tuesday evening, Republicans on the Judiciary Committee accused
Democrats of overplaying their hand by accusing Trump of the crimes of
bribery and extortion in the media and then pulling back.
"Whatever happened to quid pro quo, extortion and bribery?" said
Representative John Ratcliffe. "The Democrats have been telling us it
was clear, the facts were undisputed, the evidence was overwhelming.
Except it wasn’t any of those things and now it’s all gone."
Democrats spent much of the evening chiding Republicans for their
loyalty to Trump.
"Wake up! Stop thinking about running for re-election," said
Representative David Cicilline.
"Stop worrying about being primaried. Stop deflecting and distracting
and treating those you represent as if they don't see what's going on,
like they're not smart enough to realize that you are willfully ignoring
the facts to protect a corrupt and dangerous president."
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![](../images/121219pics/news_m27.jpg)
President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign rally at
the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, U.S., December 10, 2019.
REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo
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SIMPLIFYING THE CASE
A Senate trial is expected next month on the charges. Senior
Republicans in the chamber appeared to be moving toward a consensus
that a streamlined proceeding with no witnesses would allow Trump
and the Senate to end the matter and quickly move on.
Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, said on Wednesday, no
decision had yet been made over how to conduct the trial.
Democrats sought to simplify the public case against Trump by not
including other contentious aspects of Trump's tenure, such as his
efforts to impede former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia
probe. Democratic lawmakers from more conservative districts had
argued the focus should stay on Ukraine.
Still, while the Judiciary Committee is likely to approve the
articles, several Democrats in swing districts remain unsure how
they will vote on impeachment, although with a 36-seat lead over
Republicans in the House, passage is expected.
Trump and Republicans have tried to use the issue as way to attack
Democratic presidential candidates and those vulnerable House
members.
Public support for impeachment has largely fallen along party lines,
with the vast majority of Democrats supporting it and most
Republicans opposing it. Trump's approval rating, according to
opinion polls, has largely remained consistent throughout the
inquiry.
(Reporting by David Morgan and James Oliphant; Editing by Peter
Cooney)
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