Val Demings

By Glynn Wilson –

In what could be a historic vote if not for the hyper partisan divide in American politics, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted 23-17 along party lines on Friday to approve articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump, setting up a vote in the full House next week and a trial in the Senate next year.

The committee approved two charges against Trump for abuse of power over this president’s pressure on a foreign government to interfere in a domestic election, a classic impeachable offense, and obstruction of Congress, for a coverup by refusing to turn over documents and allow subpoenaed witnesses to testify.

While only 216 votes will be required to approve the articles of impeachment and send it to the Senate for trial, the Democrats hold a clear majority with 233 seats, more than enough to approve the charges. The Republicans only hold 197 seats and there’s one independent in the House.

So Trump is expected to become the third U.S. president to be impeached.

In congressional hearings in the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees, sessions that news organizations say have “gripped Washington,” but not so much the masses around the country, the accusations against this president say he clearly violated the U.S. Constitution, jeopardized national security and undermined the integrity of the 2020 election by asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a phone call back in July to investigate former Vice President and political rival Joe Biden.

“Today is a solemn and sad day,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said in announcing the vote. “For the third time in a little over a century and a half, the House Judiciary Committee has voted articles of impeachment against the president.”

Republicans continue to defend Trump and accused Democrats of a “politically motivated farce” aimed at overturning the 2016 presidential election, which Trump won with only 46.1 percent of the popular vote.

“Impeachment is a hoax. It’s a sham,” Trump told reporters at the White House after the committee’s vote.

But Democrats and some independents all over social media called Trump an embarrassment to the country who should consider resigning to save the nation from further damage.

“It’s a very sad thing for our country, but it seems to be good for me politically,” Trump said.

He may prove to be right about that, if the religious right, farmers and other Republican voters don’t begin to see the light soon and turn against this divisive president who seems willing to “ratfuck” the country and the planet for his own fame and economic benefit.

Democratic sources working for members of Congress say tentative plans are calling for a debate on impeachment on the floor of the House as soon as next Wednesday, followed by a vote that same day or Thursday.

No president has ever been removed from office as a direct result of an impeachment vote. Republican Richard Nixon famously resigned before he could be impeached for his knowledge and coverup of the Watergate scandal. Democrats Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached by the House but acquitted by the Senate.

It will take the votes of at least 20 Republicans for a successful conviction in the Senate trial, which will be presided over by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. That is if all 45 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the Democrats vote in favor of removing Trump from office. It will take 67 votes total to order Trump’s removal from the White House.

The debate now is over whether there should be a lengthy trial with many witnesses or a short one with a quick vote, and over whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should recuse himself from the trial, after he was quoted on Thursday saying he was coordinating with the Trump White House on the rules for the trial, which appeared to be a violation of the basic principles of a separation of powers and checks and balances.

“He has effectively promised to let President Trump manage his own impeachment trial,” House member Val Demings said in a statement. She’s a Democrat from Orlando, Florida and a member of both the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees. “The Senator must withdraw.”