House Democrats Pass Bill Sending Articles of Impeachment to Senate

The House passed a resolution Wednesday that will send the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate and establish who will serve as the House Democrats’ impeachment managers.

The House passed H. Res. 798, a resolution that will appoint and authorize managers for the impeachment trial against President Trump.

The resolution passed on partisan lines, 228-193, with Republicans united against the resolution and Democrats in favor of the bill. Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI), a former Republican, voted in favor of the Democrats’ resolution.

Before the House vote on the resolution, Speaker Pelosi criticized Senate Republican attempts to dismiss the impeachment trial against President Trump.

“Dismissal is cover-up,” the California Democrat said.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) delivered an impassioned speech on the House floor, saying that Democrats want to “stain” President Trump’s record out of “spite.”

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-GA) said on the House floor Wednesday that the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry had no “due process at all.”

Rep. Collins wondered why if impeachment “was such an emergency,” then why did Democrats hold onto the articles “for almost a month?”

“This has always been a political impeachment,” the Georgia conservative said.

The vote mirrors the House’s December vote for both articles of impeachment, in which all Republicans voted against the resolution, and Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) and former Democrat Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) voted against the resolution.

Democrat presidential candidate and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) voted present on the articles of impeachment.

The impeachment resolution’s passage through the House follows as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced Wednesday morning that  House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler, along with Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Val Demings (D-FL), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) will serve as the impeachment managers for the upcoming impeachment trial against President Trump.

“Today is an important day. The emphasis is making the strongest possible case to protect and defend our constitution, to seek the truth for the American people,” Speaker Pelosi said during a press conference on Capitol Hill.

After the House passes the impeachment resolution, House Democrats will deliver the impeachment articles to the Senate in a procession later on Wednesday. The two articles of impeachment charge that the president abused the office of the presidency and obstructed Congress.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is expected to begin the impeachment trial against President Trump early next week.

White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow, Trump’s personal attorney, will serve as part of the president’s legal team during the impeachment trial.