US House delivers Trump impeachment articles to Senate
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi signs the articles impeaching US President Donald Trump before they are delivered to the Senate ahead of the trial
The House of Representatives formally delivered two articles of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate on Wednesday, setting the stage for a trial to determine whether a president should be removed from office for just the third time in U.S. history.
In a ceremony that capped a whirlwind day on Capitol Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed both articles of impeachment: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
In the morning, Pelosi introduced the seven House impeachment managers who will present the case against the president in the Senate. Hours later, the House voted to approve a resolution formally designating the managers and authorizing them to transmit the articles to the Senate.
In the early evening, Pelosi finalized the articles themselves in a ceremony on the House side of the Capitol. In a ritual steeped in tradition, the managers and the House clerk then walked the articles across the Capitol to the Senate chamber, where the clerk delivered a message to the assembled senators.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged receipt of the message and said senators would convene on Thursday to hear the formal presentation of the articles and swear in the chief justice of the Supreme Court, who will preside over the trial.
The House voted on Dec.18 to impeach Trump on two articles stemming from his monthslong campaign to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations into Joe Biden and other domestic political opponents. The pressure tactics allegedly included withholding congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Trump was impeached on charges that he abused the power of the presidency and obstructed Congress by prohibiting top administration officials from testifying about the Ukraine scheme.
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