A House of Representatives committee has approved two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, charging him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The abuse of power charge stems from Mr Trump’s July phone call with the Ukrainian president pressuring him to announce an investigation of Democrats as he was withholding US aid.
The obstruction charge involves the US president’s blocking of House efforts to investigate his actions. He has denied wrongdoing.
The vote on the House Judiciary Committee was split along party lines, with 23 Democrats voting in favour and 17 Republicans opposed.
READ MORE: US Judiciary panel debates Trump impeachment
The full House is expected to take up the two articles of impeachment next week.
House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler (Alex Brandon/AP)
Mr Trump is accused in the first article of abusing his presidential power by asking Ukraine to investigate his 2020 rival Joe Biden while holding military aid as leverage, and, in the second, of obstructing Congress by blocking the House’s efforts to probe his actions.
Voting came quickly after two days of hearings at the Capitol and a rancorous 14-hour session that was abruptly shut down late on Thursday when the Democratic majority refused to be forced, after a long and bitter slog through failed Republican amendments aimed at killing the charges, into midnight voting.
Instead, the impeachment charges against Mr Trump were aired in full view of Americans.
READ MORE: Democrats officially unveil Trump impeachment charges
Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler, who had said he wanted legislators to “search their consciences” before casting their votes, led the landmark morning session.
The Republicans House members were fantastic yesterday. It always helps to have a much better case, in fact the Dems have no case at all, but the unity & sheer brilliance of these Republican warriors, all of them, was a beautiful sight to see. Dems had no answers and wanted out!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2019
Mr Trump took to Twitter early on Friday to praise the panel’s Republicans, saying “they were fantastic yesterday”.
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