Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday announced managers to present the articles of President Donald Trump’s impeachment to the U.S. Senate.
Pelosi named House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-NY and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-CA, as two of the impeachment managers to present the case for Trump’s impeachment. Nadler and Schiff’s committees both handled handled impeachment witness interviews before the impeachment articles were brought to a full house vote.
These are the impeachment managers who will prosecute case against President Trump
• Adam Schiff
• Jerry Nadler
• Hakeem Jeffries
• Jason Crow
• Val Demings
• Zoe Lofgren
• Sylvia Garcia https://t.co/xQgyFixIqs pic.twitter.com/IBfQWzpQww— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 15, 2020
Pelosi also named House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY; Rep. Jason Crow, D-CO; Rep. Val Demings, D-FL; Sylvia Garcia, D-TX; and Zoe Lofgren, D-CA.
Pelosi said she selected impeachment managers based on prior courtroom experience and comfort level with handling cases.
The House of Representatives passed two articles of impeachment on Dec. 18, but the articles have since remained with the House amid haggling with the Republican-controlled Senate over the terms of its trial. One dispute was as to whether the Senate would allow additional witnesses not brought forth in the House’s initial impeachment process.
The naming of impeachment managers signals the House is ready to present the case to the Senate, ending the delay.
“Today is the day that we name the managers, we go to the floor to pass the resolution to transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate,” Pelosi said.
The first article of impeachment claims Trump committed an abuse of power, stemming from allegations he improperly pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to open investigations into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
The second article of impeachment is for obstruction of Congress. The charge claims Trump blocked witness testimony and the turnover of documents requested in the House impeachment inquiries.
Trump had invoked executive privilege over the House subpoenas and hoped to fight the congressional witness and document requests in the courts.
The first impeachment article passed in the House by a vote of 230-197.
The second article passed by a vote of 229-198
Democrats Collin Peterson and Jeff Van Drew voted against both impeachment articles. Democratic Rep. Jared Golden voted against in favor of the abuse of power charge but against the obstruction charge.
Democrat Tulsi Gabbard voted present on both articles, deciding not to weigh in one direction or the other.
Former Republican turned independent Rep. Justin Amash joined Democrats who voted in favor of both impeachment charges. No current Republican congressmen voted for the impeachment.
The Senate trial faces longer odds as the Republicans control that chamber and the Senate must reach a two-thirds majority – 67 votes – to convict an impeached president.
