On Monday morning (Jan. 11), House Democrats unveiled articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump for “incitement of insurrection” after pro-Trump rioters overtook the U.S. Capitol building last week.
Democrats hoped a resolution they introduced calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump would pass, but Republicans blocked the effort to pass it by unanimous consent.
“The House Republicans rejected this legislation to protect America, enabling the President’s unhinged, unstable and deranged acts of sedition to continue,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says in a statement. “Their complicity endangers America, erodes our Democracy, and it must end.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now says they will give Pence 24 hours to “activate the 25th Amendment to remove the President.” If he doesn’t, the next step is to bring the resolution to the floor for a full vote tomorrow (Jan. 12).
Timing for a floor vote on impeachment is still unknown, but some Democrats are saying it could come as early as Wednesday. Democrat Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island says his party has “the numbers to pass” articles of impeachment and expects to “have Republican support” in their efforts.
Trump would be the first President to be impeached twice in U.S. history. Questions remain if there are enough Republican votes in the U.S. Senate to convict him and bar him from ever holding public office again.