House Democrats launched an unprecedented second impeachment of the president, one week after violent protesters mobbed the Capitol to demand President Trump be declared the winner of the presidential election.
“This was not a protest. This was an insurrection,” House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, said, opening the debate. “This was a well-organized attack on our country that was incited by Donald Trump.”
Democrats and a handful of Republicans later Wednesday will vote to pass one impeachment resolution charging Trump with inciting an insurrection, a reference to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump protesters that left five people dead, dozens injured, and the historic building strewn with damage.
Democrats opened the debate arguing Trump had violated his oath of office by stirring up the protests and inspiring the attack while doing nothing to prevent the violent events of that day.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the president of the United States broke his oath and incited this insurrection,” said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat. “The actions of the president of the United States demand urgent, clear action of the Congress.”
At least four Republicans said they’ll vote to impeach Trump on the article, and among them is House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Liz Cheney accused Trump of provoking the violence in the Capitol.
“The president of the United States summoned this mob, and lit the flames of the attack,” Cheney said. “Everything that followed was his doing.”
But most other Republicans said they would not support impeachment, arguing it would further inflame political tensions and divide the country.
“I can think of nothing that will cause further division more,” Rep. Tom Cole, the top Republican on the House Rules Committee, argued. “And the path the majority is now taking, rather than looking ahead to a new administration, the majority is again seeking to settle scores against the old one. Rather than seeking to heal America, they're seeking to divide us more deeply. And rather than following the appropriate processes the House has used in every modern impeachment, the majority is rushing to the floor, tripping all over themselves in their rush to impeach the president a second time.”
By passing the impeachment article quickly, the House could provide the Senate time to take it up and vote on whether to convict the president, which requires the approval of two-thirds of all voting senators.
The Senate is not scheduled to reconvene until Jan. 19, however, which will make the first opportunity to consider the article in the Senate one hour after Trump leaves office. The Constitution does not provide an avenue for Congress to convict an ex-president on impeachment articles.
According to a New York Times story, McConnell signaled he is pleased Trump will be impeached, opening the possibility he may move to take up the article after all. The majority switches to Democrats next week, but only after Trump leaves office.
Democrats argued on the House floor that Trump should be removed immediately, suggesting he could use his presidential power during his remaining seven days in office to incite more violence, pardon those who attacked the Capitol, or even start a nuclear war.
But Republicans called on the party to back down from the historically speedy one-day impeachment.
“This is a reckless impeachment,” Rep. Jason Smith, a Missouri Republican, said on the House floor. “This will only bring up the hate and fire more than ever before. Put the people before this country.”
