On Wednesday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The two crucial votes to impeach the president on both charges fell mostly along party lines after hours of debate that began early Wednesday. All 13 Texas Democrats in the House votes for impeachment.
Representing the 10th congressional district in central Texas, GOP Rep. Michael McCaul first voted for impeachment, then quickly switched his vote in opposition.
The articles of impeachment will now head to the U.S. Senate, where it faces staunch opposition in the Republican-controlled chamber.
“Partisanship must be pushed aside and our elected officials must put the rule of law above all else,” said Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa in a statement. “If Republican Senators, like John Cornyn, refuse to do their jobs, we must be ready to vote them out of office and elect people who will.”
The historic vote to impeach the president comes days after the release of the House Judiciary Committee’s 658-page report charging Trump with both articles. The first, abuse of power, for soliciting the Government of Ukraine to publicly announce investigations into Joe Biden, and the second, obstruction of Congress, for hampering efforts to investigate Trump’s abuse of power.
Trump is the third president in U.S. history to be impeached.
