House votes to impeach Trump, Senate trial to follow in new year

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The U.S. House of Representatives voted Dec. 18 to impeach President Donald Trump, citing abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Now, the Senate is tasked with holding a trial to consider the two articles of impeachment. A two-thirds vote of the Senate will be required to move forward with removing the president from office.

The House of Representatives will present its articles of impeachment to the Senate and name impeachment managers, though further action is not expected until the first week in January.

Nebraska representatives issued statements regarding the impeachment vote on Dec. 18 or shortly after.

Sen. Deb Fischer (R): “From the day President Trump was elected, Democrats have wanted to impeach and remove him from office, and today’s vote was the culmination of their efforts. This process was unfair, secretive and highly partisan. House Democrats did not provide President Trump the basic fairness afforded to other presidents in past impeachment inquiries. As disappointed as I am in the way these proceedings were conducted in the House, I must now fulfill my constitutional duty as a juror in a Senate trial and I will assess all information as it becomes available to me.”

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (District 1): “I have been concerned since the beginning that this impeachment process has been driven by a predetermined verdict of guilty. It’s unfair. Now, any future president, Democrat or Republican, will have to worry that impeachment will be used as a blunt force political instrument.The House has had its cathartic moment. Maybe tomorrow we can get back to work and pass a good, fair trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.”

Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb: “I applaud the brave members of the House who voted to stand up to this criminal bully of a president. Unfortunately, Nebraska’s GOP members of Congress—Reps. Don Bacon, Jeff Fortenberry and Adrian Smith—showed they were cowards by voting against the measure. They have put their party ahead of our country and Constitution. The survival of our democracy is at stake. Trump is a threat to our democracy and national security. Those who voted for the articles of impeachment are giving our nation a path to restoring the rule of law and defending our Constitution.”

Nebraska Republican Party Executive Director Ryan Hamilton: “President Donald J. Trump has delivered for the American people and Nebraskans with unprecedented economic success. Democrats in Congress are busy pursuing their path of endless investigations and now a sham impeachment. Many Democrats openly speak what they know to be the truth: without impeachment, they have no path back to the White House. It is a politically driven embarrassment. We look forward to (the) Senate putting a swift end to this political nonsense and look forward to Donald Trump’s reelection in 2020.”

U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R) had not issued a statement on the impeachment as of press time.