UPDATED(Local time 11:35 PM): This news has been updated to add key developments from the House session held today for the Impeachment of POTUS for "Incitement of insurrection"
After the president initiated the riot in Capitol Hill, members of the House of Representatives laid forward the article of impeachment for "Incitement of insurrection" against Donald Trump.
The Legislators were expected to debate for one hour, then start the vote and finally start the house session.
The following conclusions can be drawn from today's session:
221, all democrats voted agreeing to the impeachment resolution while 203 republicans voted contrary. The Congress after a debate will proceed with the resolution to the Senate which is to resume on a day before Joe Biden's inauguration which will likely go days.
While several House Republicans have indicated they support impeaching Trump, others (majority) objected that doing so would further divide the country during the already fraught period.
Representative Jim McGovern opened the debate saying," Mr. Speaker, we are debating this historic measure at an actual crime scene, and we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the president of the United States." He recounted the incident as a well-organized insurrection against our country that was organized by Donald Trump.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer argued, “There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath of Constitution – to the Constitution.” “There is no doubt in my mind that the president of the United States broke his oath and incited this insurrection,” he added.
“I can think of no action the House can take that is more likely to further divide the American people,” said Representative Tom Cole. Those who opposed impeachment largely said they were doing so on principle, accusing Democrats of a rushed process that would deny the president his right to defend himself and further inflame the forces of division that erupted last week. Other Republicans defended the president's tweets and speech stating it didn't directly imply riot and capital breach.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi started the debate on an article of impeachment stating Trump as a clear and present danger to the country. “I believe the President must be convicted by the Senate, a constitutional remedy that will ensure the republic will be safe from this man who is so resolutely determined to tear down the things we hold dear and that holds us together,” Pelosi continued.
Republican Congressman Darrell Issa argued that Trump is being punished for whatever he did in the last four years. He added, “Whatever happened last week was the result of anarchists who came loaded prepared and with weapons.” Jim Jordan argues that democrats have always obsessed about canceling the president arguing, “The attack on the First Amendment has to stop”
House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy accepted Trump’s contribution to the deadly Capitol attack last week but said impeaching him would be a “mistake.” A similar comment was made by Rep.Young Kim who said it is better to censure trump rather than impeach him as it could unite the country rather than divide it. However, some Republicans including Rep. Liz Cheney, Rep. Dan Newhouse favored the impeachment and believe that there are no excuses for those actions. He stated,” Turning a blind eye to this brutal assault on our Republic is not an option”.
Democratic Rep. Jason Crow challenged GOP leaders to show some courage and defend the country and its foundation, and impeach Trump. Rep. Anna Esho made a bold statement questioning how the future generations and history is going to judge us looking back at this period. She said, "future generations are not going to know the names of each member in the chamber today, in voting, but they will know what we did and why. We must impeach the President because he incited a mob that attacked the Capitol of the United States, the tabernacle of our democracy."
Republican Rep. Chip Roy condemned President Trump's conduct as impeachable but urged lawmakers to reject the article of impeachment drafted saying they are flawed and posed a danger to free speech for lawmakers and Americans. “If the House approves the articles as written, the language will be used to target members of this body under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, it will be used to suggest any statements we make will be subject to review by our colleagues and send us down the perilous path of cleansing political speech in the public square,” said Roy.
232 members of the House of Representatives voted "Yes" for the impeachment of President Trump and 197 of them voted "No" against the impeachment. Among the 232 members voting yes, 222 of them are Democrats while 10 of them are Republicans. The Congress after a debate will proceed with the resolution to the Senate which is to resume on a day before Joe Biden's inauguration which will likely go days.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, then, signed the historic article of impeachment against Trump officially.
