House Judiciary Committee begins debating Trump impeachment articles
Updated 11:26, 12-Dec-2019
Omar Elwafaii

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives moved closer on Wednesday to impeaching President Donald Trump as a key House committee began debating formal articles of impeachment that are expected to be brought to the House floor next week. 

The House Judiciary Committee was meeting to consider the two articles, which accuse Trump of abusing his power by trying to force Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden and of obstructing Congress when lawmakers tried to look into the matter.

"If the president can first abuse his power and then stonewall all congressional requests for information, Congress cannot fulfill its duty to act as a check and balance against the executive (branch) — and the president becomes a dictator," Representative Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the Judiciary panel, said in opening remarks.

But the committee's top Republican, Doug Collins, accused Democrats of being predisposed toward impeachment and argued that the evidence did not support it.

"You can't make your case against the president because nothing happened," Collins said.

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler (3rd L) listens to opening statements as the House Judiciary Committee begins its markup of articles of impeachment against U.S. President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., December 11, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler (3rd L) listens to opening statements as the House Judiciary Committee begins its markup of articles of impeachment against U.S. President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., December 11, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Trump has denied wrongdoing and condemned the impeachment inquiry as a hoax.

Democrats spent much of the evening denouncing Trump's conduct and shaming Republicans for defending him, while Republicans railed against what they see as a partisan and unjust inquiry.

"President Trump's high crimes threaten our democracy," said Democratic Representative Hank Johnson. "I'm a black man representing Georgia, born when Jim Crow was alive and well. To me the idea that elections can be undermined is not theoretical," referring to the era of racial segregation.

Republican Jim Jordan contended the process was being driven by animus toward Trump and his allies.

"They don't like us – that's what this is about," Jordan said. "They don't like the president's supporters, and they dislike us so much they're willing to weaponize the government."

The committee is expected to approve the charges sometime on Thursday. The full Democratic-led House is likely to follow suit next week, making Trump the third president in U.S. history to be impeached.

Following the House vote, charges will go to the Senate for a trial. The Republican-led chamber is unlikely to vote to remove Trump from office.

(Cover: Republican Representative from Ohio Jim Jordan delivers remarks during the House Judiciary Committee's markup of articles of impeachment against U.S. President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. December 11, 2019. /Reuters Photo)