Dry procedures and impassioned speeches preceded historic impeachment vote
At precisely 9am, with only a handful of lawmakers present and the public gallery nearly empty, a voice boomed across the decorous chamber, where the House of Representatives was preparing to impeach the president of the United States for only the third time in US history: “All rise.”
The rap of a gavel from atop the tiered speaker’s rostrum brought to order a daylong floor debate over the two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The subdued start belied the drama that was to come later, as the dry procedural process gave way to impassioned speech-making, culminating in the historic vote after nightfall. The press gallery, in contrast to the public gallery, was standing room only as reporters from around the world watched with a birds eye view of the proceedings.
Patrick Conroy, the chaplain of the House of Representatives, opened the session with an appeal to America’s better angels.
“As the members take this time to consider far-reaching legislation and consider historic constitutional action, give them wisdom and discernment,” Conroy said in prayer. Help them and help us all.”
In the age of political tribalism, his words did little to heal the partisan breach, underscored by the carpeted center aisle splitting the House chamber in two: Democrats on the left, Republicans on the right, depending on one’s perspective. Nearly three months after the start of a formal impeachment inquiry – a process that included weeks of significant testimony, compelling witnesses, and some new revelations – there were no major change of hearts or minds.
And so, on Wednesday, one by one, and under the gaze of a portrait of George Washington, the nation’s first president, representatives from each side of America’s political divide rose to decry the circumstances that brought them to this very moment.
“I solemnly and sadly open the debate on the impeachment of the president of the United States,” said House speaker Nancy Pelosi, dressed in funeral black in the somberness of the hour.
Democrats sat quietly in their seats, while the Republican side remained largely empty, as the Speaker made her closing argument in favor of an impeachment she never wanted. The articles of impeachment assert that Trump abused his office by pressuring Ukraine to target his US political rivals in order to help his 2020 reelection campaign, and then obstructed Congress by refusing to cooperate with its inquiry,
“If we do not act now we would be derelict in our duty,” she said. “It is tragic that the president’s reckless actions make impeachment necessary. He gave us no choice.”
When she finished speaking, Democrats gave her a standing ovation as Republicans sought to quiet them, shouting: “Regular order!”
The first rhetorical shot was fired moments after the session began by Congressman Andy Biggs, a Republican of Arizona and a staunch ally of the president.
“So we can stop wasting America’s time on impeachment, I move that the House do now adjourn,” he said, calling for a vote. The dilatory tactic, meant to forestall the inevitable and the Democratic-controlled House summarily rejected the request.
Members took turns speaking in minutes-long snippets, strictly enforced by the gavel. They largely returned to already belabored themes, but with amplified indignation to match the occasion.
But they talked past each other, disagreeing on basic facts. Republicans assailed the impeachment inquiry as a “political drive-by” and an attempt to “overturn the 2016 election”. Democrats, meanwhile, invoked the Founding Fathers and warned a failure to hold Trump accountable would elevate him to the status of a king or despot.
“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered,” said Congressman James Clyburn, the House majority whip, quoting Thomas Paine. “These words were written at a time when our founders were rebelling against the tyrannical rule of the British monarchy. Today, we have a president who seems to believe he is a
king.”
Congressman Barry Loudermilk, a Republican from Georgia, went further, likening Trump to Jesus Christ.
“When Jesus was falsely accused of treason, Pontius Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to face his accusers,” Loudermilk said. “During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than the Democrats have afforded this president.”
Groans and laughter echoed through the chamber.
More than once, Republicans’ indignation turned vindictive. Chris Stewart, a Republican from Utah accused Democrats of not only hating the president but hating those who voted for him.
“They think we made a mistake,” he said. “They think Hillary Clinton should be the president and they want to fix that.”
Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, rose to remind Republicans that if Trump is removed from office, “the new president would be Mike Pence, not Hillary Clinton.”
After remarks by Texas congressman Louie Gohmert, one of the president’s fiercest allies, Nadler said it was “deeply concerned that any member of the House would spout Russian propaganda on the floor of the House.” Gohmert returned to the podium, shouting angrily and then approach Nadler. The men exchanged words and the tension eased.
From the opposite end of Pennsylvania
Avenue, the morning of the House vote – which arrived on the 1,062nd day of Trump’s presidency and almost 21 years to the day since the chamber voted to impeach president Bill Clinton – began like so many others in this new age of the presidential twitter-verse: with a stream of defiant Trump Tweets. They yelled excessively-punctuated praise for the president’s allies and all-caps condemnation of his political enemies, real and perceived.
“Can you believe that I will be impeached today by the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, AND I DID NOTHING WRONG!” he tweeted at 7:34am. “A terrible Thing. Read the Transcripts. This should never happen to another President again. Say a PRAYER!”
There would be no divine intervention on the president’s behalf. At 8.35pm ET on 18 December, in a deeply partisan vote and with the public gallery finally nearly full, Trump joined the ignominious pantheon of American presidents impeached by the House of Representatives for “high crimes and misdemeanors”.