BOISE, Idaho — The U.S. House has impeached President Donald Trump on a charge he abused the power of his office to investigate a political rival ahead of the 2020 election.
Trump becomes the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. The House also approved the second charge, obstruction of Congress. Democrats control the House, and the voting was mostly along party lines.
The charges against Trump will next go to the Republican-controlled Senate for a trial in January. Trump, who says he's done nothing wrong, would almost certainly be acquitted there.
Both Idaho members of the House voted not to impeach the president. Representatives Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher issued the following statements in response to the outcome of the vote.
Rep. Mike Simpson
"Unfortunately, this vote does more damage than good and further divides our country. A group of Democrats, Members of the House and my colleagues, have taken their displeasure with the results of the 2016 presidential election and plunged our nation into a vicious debate, one that started before the President was even sworn into office. Facts are sacrificed for political grandstanding, the personal character of opponents is impugned, and the media tells whichever side of the story it prefers. Speaker Nancy Pelosi set a requirement that for impeachment to proceed, there needed to be bipartisan support. Today, we don't have bipartisan support for impeachment, in fact, the only bipartisan vote today is AGAINST impeachment. I am gravely disappointed. Introducing articles of impeachment is one of the most solemn powers of Congress, ranking in importance alongside the power to declare war."
Rep. Russ Fulcher
"Today, a stain will be left on the history of the U.S. House of Representatives… one which neither fact nor time will be able to wipe clean. Like other blights on history, this one is self-induced by the selfish ambition of mankind.
Having found themselves more desiring of power than service, the stewards of a once-honorable democrat party have weaponized the congressional process – one that was intended for liberty – in a desperate attempt to remove an American President and gain more control.
Although the attempt will ultimately fail, the stain will remain. And so it is.
Now, the responsibility for any positive mitigation lies with our nation's parents and grandparents, to use this stain as a tool for teaching – and to explain to future Americans such that this will never happen again."
Both of Idaho's senators, Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, also issued statements Wednesday:
Sen. Mike Crapo
"I have yet to see anything impeachable in what has been a politicized process in the House. I expect a more fair and complete process before there is a vote in the Senate."
Sen. Jim Risch's office
We are in a very partisan and volatile time in American politics, and the House's impeachment inquiry has clearly enflamed these ongoing tensions. Rather than weighing in on every new development, the senator is monitoring these issues and will comment when impeachment proceedings move to the Senate and he has cast his official vote as a juror in those proceedings. In the meantime, as chairman, he will of course weigh in on the status of and path forward on foreign relations and other matters.
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