By Caribbean News Global 
WASHINGTON, USA — US President Donald J Trump is now the third president in US history to be impeached. A constructional instrument that seals his place in history, albeit the impeachment vote won’t remove Trump from office. And subject to the Republican Party nomination he is eligible to run for re-election November 2020.
“Today we are here to defend democracy for the people,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said opening the debate. “If we do not act now, we would be derelict in our duty. It is tragic that the president’s reckless actions make impeachment necessary.”
President Trump impeachment Wednesday evening for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for withholding aid to Ukraine to pressure its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to announce an investigation into Joe Biden.
“The president and his men plot on,” said chairman Adam Schiff, Democrat-California of the intelligence committee that led the inquiry. “The danger persists. The risk is real.”
“In America, no one is above the law, Donald J. Trump sacrificed our national security in an effort to cheat in the next election. And for that and his continued efforts to seek foreign interference in our elections, he must be impeached.”
President Trump joins two former presidents in the exclusive club to have been impeached by Congress. Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. Both were acquitted in the Senate. Johnson failed to win his party’s nomination to seek re-election. Clinton was impeached in his second term. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 ahead of certain impeachment.
The first articles of impeachment; abuse of power was approved by a vote of 230-197. The second article; obstruction of Congress, was approved 229-198.
“December 18, a great day for the Constitution of the United States. A sad one for America that the president’s reckless activities necessitated our having to introduce articles of impeachment.” Pelosi (D-Calif.) said. “I could not be prouder or more inspired by the moral courage of the House Democrats.”
“This vote is about one thing, and one thing only: They hate this president,” said rRepresentative Chris Stewart, Republican-Utah. “They want to take away my vote and throw it in the trash.”
The impeachment process moves to Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell’s and a Republican Senate.
For the president to be ousted from the White House by impeachment, the Senate must convict him with a two-thirds majority – that’s unlikely.
Another option lies with the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution, which would require action from the president’s own Cabinet.
The impeachment of president Trump will reverberate across party lines with divergent views in an already polarized country.
“We are being tested on something greater than our ability to toe a party line,” said House Rules Chairman Jim McGovern (D-Mass.). “Something more than our ability to score the next great television soundbite. This is a democracy-defining moment.”
Commenting on the House vote at a political rally in Michigan, “Every single Republican voted for us, Trump said. “We didn’t lose one Republican voted.”
“This is not about making history, this is about holding a lawless president accountable,” said Representative David Cicilline, Democrat- Rhode Island.
