Washington, Dec 18 :
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to take a momentous and deeply polarizing vote on Wednesday when it is likely to impeach President Donald Trump on charges of abusing his office and obstructing a congressional probe.
The vote in the Democratic-controlled House is expected to fall almost entirely along party lines, underscoring the deep divide in Congress over Trump’s conduct – and the larger political schism within the nation itself. Trump would become only the third U.S. president to be impeached, an extraordinary check on presidential power spelled out in the U.S. Constitution for executives who commit “high crimes and misdemeanors.” No president has ever been removed from office under its terms. The vote, expected in the afternoon or early evening, would result in a trial next month in the U.S. Senate in which House members would act as prosecutors. That chamber is controlled by Republicans, who have shown little interest in removing Trump from office. House Democrats accuse Trump of abusing his power by asking Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, a former U.S. vice president and a leading Democratic contender in the 2020 election. Trump is also accused of obstructing the congressional investigation into the matter. Trump has called the impeachment process “a total sham,” and on Tuesday sent House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a lengthy letter in which he accused her of engaging in a “perversion of justice.” The president has denounced the probe as an “attempted coup” and has argued Democrats are trying to undo the results of the 2016 election in which he defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“Can you believe that I will be impeached today by the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, AND I DID NOTHING WRONG! A terrible thing,” Trump tweeted early on Wednesday morning. “Say a prayer!”
With Trump seeking a second term next year, impeachment has cleaved the public, with most Democratic voters supporting it and most Republicans opposed.
What remains unclear is whether the months-long partisan drama will have any effect on the 2020 election beyond giving Trump reasons to boast of having beaten back Democratic efforts to remove him.
Republicans contend that a “yea” vote on impeachment could cost some moderate House Democrats their seats in next year’s congressional elections. Still, several Democrats who represent districts that backed Trump in 2016 have said in recent days they will vote to impeach him.
