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House impeaches Trump for the 2nd time

January 13, 2021
<p>President Donald Trump gives remarks at Dana Inc. in Warren, Michigan, on Jan. 30, 2020.</p>

President Donald Trump gives remarks at Dana Inc. in Warren, Michigan, on Jan. 30, 2020.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, with a majority of 232-197. Ten Republican lawmakers voted for the impeachment, according to an Associated Press report

This marks the second impeachment for the president within the span of 13 months. The next step is for the motion to be tried in the Senate where a two-thirds majority is needed for the conviction and removal of the president. 

"... President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government," the impeachment resolution said. "He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he does not intend to conduct a trial until, at the earliest, Jan. 19, a day before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, according to the report. This would mean a very unlikely trial before the end of Trump’s term. 

The vote was on the basis of “inciting an insurrection," and comes after a violent, armed mob attacked the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday. 

The debate lasted two hours, giving each party an hour to debate. Representatives from Michigan including Haley Stevens (MI-11), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-13) spoke and voted in support of impeachment.

“Those who incited an attack on the people’s house do not get to talk about healing and unity,” Tlaib said during the debate. “They have torn this country apart. They have stoked the fire and then handed the gasoline to Donald Trump. ... We must understand that peace must be centered in truth in action. We cannot sit madam chair, sit idly by, after a violent attempted coup and allow lies and hate to continue.”

Levin addressed the months of rallies after the 2020 presidential election where Trump lied about the outcome of the election. He also blamed Trump for inciting riots after telling his (Trump’s) supporters to “fight like hell” and denounced the event as a grotesque show of white supremacy and anti-Semitism.

“A week ago today, five people were killed, many injured and everyone in this building forced to hide for their very life," Stevens said. "The president was called for help, but he did not answer our call while our government was being taken over. He failed to lead and therefore proved himself incapable of doing so.”

To impeach Trump in the Senate, a minimum of 17 Republicans and all 50 Democrats to vote is needed. 

An impeachment vote alone does not bar Trump from running again in 2024. The Senate must conduct another vote to remove him from office. This may be done separately from the impeachment vote in case of a lack of two-thirds vote in the Senate and only requires a simple majority. 

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