The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a rushed impeachment of President Donald Trump for a second time, approving an article indicting the president for “incitement of insurrection.”
While the Democrats’ last impeachment, launched over a phone call with the Ukrainian president, drew no Republican support with two Democrat members joining Republicans in opposition, ten GOP members voted with the Democratic majority approving Wednesday’s impeachment. The final vote came to 232 in favor and 197 opposed.
Republicans who voted in favor included House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who declared her intent to support removal Tuesday night, claiming the president bears direct responsibility for the mob that ransacked the Capitol last week following a rally by the White House.
“The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack,” Cheney said in a statement, arguing this week that her vote was one of “conscience” as she prepared to break party lines, sparking outrage in her own caucus.
Freshman Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana demanded Cheney’s resignation from House leadership Tuesday night following the announcement of his western colleague’s intent.
“When Representative Cheney came out in favor of impeachment today, she failed to consult with the Conference, failed to abide by the spirit of the rules of the Republican Conference, and ignored the preferences of Republican voters,” Rosendale said on the eve of the vote. “She is weakening our conference at a key moment for personal political gain and is unfit to lead. She must step down as Conference Chair.”
Please see my statement on Republican Conference leadership pic.twitter.com/0jZn6l5NcX
— Matt Rosendale (@RepRosendale) January 13, 2021
Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan later joined Rosendale in his call for Cheney to be removed, declaring House Republicans should have a “second vote.”
NEWS: @Jim_Jordan says @Liz_Cheney should be removed as conference chair.
"We ought to have a second vote."
"The conference ought to vote on that."— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) January 13, 2021
The question of impeachment now goes to the Senate, where a trial will likely consume the first days of a Joe Biden presidency, delaying action on administrative appointments that must be confirmed by the upper chamber.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to convene the Senate prior to Jan. 19, telling colleagues in a memo that such a session would require approval from all 100 senators, but McConnell left the door open to supporting impeachment.
