UPDATED 12/13, 10:30 a.m. ET: The House Judiciary Committee has approved two articles of impeachment. In a vote taken Friday, Article 1: Abuse of Power was approved 23-17; Article 2: Obstruction of Congress was approved 23-17 as well.
Now the House floor will decide next week whether Trump becomes the third U.S. president to get impeached.
See original story below.
House Democrats announced Tuesday that they will bring about two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, charging him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, CNN reports.
The articles were introduced by House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler. "Today, in service to our duty to the Constitution and to our country, the House Committee on the Judiciary is introducing two articles of impeachment, charging the President of the United States Donald J. Trump with committing high crimes and misdemeanors," he said.
According to the Democrats, Trump abused his position when he pressured Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, ahead of the 2020 election. Trump withheld $400 million in security aid from Kiev that appeared to be related to the investigation. They also believe that he obstructed Congress by refusing to allow senior officials to testify before them.
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham referred to the articles as "a baseless and partisan attempt to undermine a sitting president."
“House Democrats have long wanted to overturn the votes of 63 million Americans," she said, according to USA TODAY. "They have determined that they must impeach President Trump because they cannot legitimately defeat him at the ballot box. The Democrats’ use of a phone call with the president of Ukraine – with a transcript the President himself released – served as their excuse for this partisan, gratuitous, and pathetic attempt to overthrow the Trump administration and the results of the 2016 election."
The impeachment vote on the House floor will take place next week.
