As impeachment debate wound down, House majority leader Steny Hoyer delivered a moving speech imploring Republicans to choose country over party

President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Florida. Reuters The House of Representatives on Wednesday held a historic hearing that culminated in the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

The House voted to pass two articles of impeachment against Trump at the end of the hearing, making him the third president in US history to be impeached.

The hearing began at 9 a.m. ET and lasted 10 hours as Democrats make the case for impeachment and Republicans defend Trump.

Scroll down to read Insider's coverage of the blockbuster event.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The House of Representatives on Wednesday held a historic hearing that ended with the impeachment of President Donald Trump. The hearing lasted a total of 10 hours and featured several fiery back-and-forths and impassioned speeches from Democratic and Republican members of the House. In the end, the chamber voted to pass two articles of impeachment against Trump, making him the third president in US history to be impeached. The first article charged him with abuse of power, and the second with obstruction of Congress. Scroll down to read Insider's coverage of the hearing.

Hoyer singles out Amash as the 'only member of this House who has no allegiance to either party, but to his country.' Associated Press/J. Scott Applewhite "We've talked a lot about partisan differences," Hoyer said. "There is one person who has spoken today who is neither a member of the Republican Party nor the Democratic Party. His name is Justin Amash, who represents a Republican district." "This president will only be in power for a short time. But excusing his behavior will forever tarnish your name," Hoyer said, quoting Amash. "Representative Amash is the only member of this House who has no allegiance to either party, but to his country," Hoyer continued. "The pages of our history are filled with Americans who had the courage to choose country over party or personality." "I urge my fellow colleagues in the House and yes, in the Senate, to look into your soul. Summon the courage to vote for our Constitution and our democracy," Hoyer said, as he concluded his remarks. "I understand we will all not see the same conclusion. But to do less betrays our oath and that of our Founders, who pledged their lives, their fortune, and their sacred honor. Let us not allow the rule of law to end ... With our votes today, we can bear true faith and allegiance to the vision of our Founders, and we can show future generations what it truly means to be American first. Vote yes."

House majority leader Steny Hoyer strikes a solemn, sober tone as he delivers his remarks: 'Party loyalty must have its limits.' Andrew Harnik/AP Photo Hoyer, one of the most senior members of the House Democratic caucus, struck a solemn, sober tone as he delivered his remarks and recalled his career of public service in which he worked with several Democratic and Republican presidents. "Democrats did not choose this impeachment," he said. "We did not wish for it. We voted against it once, we voted against it twice, we voted against it three times as recently as July. We did not want this. However, President Trump's misconduct has forced our constitutional republic to protect itself." Hoyer went on to criticize the intense partisanship on display throughout the impeachment inquiry. "These votes that we are about to take, and the process that will follow in the Senate, are not only an assessment of the president's commitment to the Constitution or to his oath of office, it is as well a test of our own," he said. "Damning evidence of the president's high crimes has emerged. Nevertheless, Republican members of this House and of the Senate have continued to defend a president whose actions seem to many of us to be indefensible." "All of us feel a sense of loyalty to party. It's what makes our two-party system function," Hoyer continued. "It's what helps hold presidents and majorities accountable. But party loyalty must have its limits, and as evidence of the president's impeachable offenses have mounted daily ... it has become increasingly clear that the limits of partisanship have been reached and passed." Now, he said, Democrats and Republicans "must work together, face a test, before our constituents, our countrymen, and our creator." Hoyer went on to praise "Republican courage throughout our history" and pointed out how Republicans stood up against their own during McCarthyism in the 1950s and the impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon in 1974. "Who among us, many years from now, will receive such praise as a man or woman of courage?" Hoyer said.

Rep. Steve Scalise delivers a passionate, 5-minute speech defending Trump and accusing Democrats of pursuing impeachment to boot him out of office. Screenshot/NBC News Scalise was also booed by Democrats when he said they hated Trump voters. Watch the clip below:

GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio appears to forget about the facts after claiming Democrats forgot about the facts. Leah Millis/Reuters "Four facts will never change," Jordan said. "We have the call transcript; no quid pro quo; we have the two guys on the call who've repeatedly said there was no pressure, there was no pushing; we have the fact that Ukraine didn't know aid was held up at the time of the phone call." "And most importantly," he continued, "Ukraine took no action, no announcement of investigations to get the aid released." Here's why these claims are misleading: What Jordan said: "We have the call transcript" and "the two guys on the call" said "there was no pressure." The transcript shows Trump repeatedly pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, over allegations of corruption that have been debunked by multiple US and Ukrainian government officials. It's true that Trump said there was no pressure, and that Zelensky said there was "no blackmail." But context matters, especially in a geopolitical relationship like this one, where there's a clear imbalance of power. As Insider's John Haltiwanger reported last month, Ukraine is still reliant on US military assistance as it fends off Russian aggression. By acknowledging feeling pressured, Zelensky would risk angering Trump. David Holmes, a senior staffer in the US Embassy in Kyiv testified last month: "Whether the hold, the security assistance hold, continued or not, Ukrainians understood that that's something the president wanted and they still wanted important things from the president. So I think that continues to this day. I think they're being very careful. They still need us now going forward."

What Jordan said: There was "no quid pro quo." This has been contradicted by several witnesses who either implied that there was a quid pro quo - like Bill Taylor, the US's interim ambassador to Ukraine - or explicitly confirmed the existence of a quid pro quo - like Gordon Sondland, the US's ambassador to the EU.

What Jordan said: "Ukraine didn't know aid was held up at the time of the phone call." Laura Cooper, a Russia and Ukraine expert at the Pentagon, revealed in public testimony last month that the State Department emailed a member of her staff on July 25 - the day of the Trump-Zelensky phone call - saying Ukrainian embassy officials and the House Foreign Affairs Committee were asking about US military aid. In other words, Ukraine seemed aware of the freeze at the time Trump spoke with Zelensky, throwing a wrench into Jordan's claim.

What Jordan said: "Ukraine took no action, no announcement of investigations to get the aid released." Timing is everything. After months of Trump and his allies pressuring Zelensky to do a television interview publicly committing to the investigations the president wanted, Zelensky was ready to cave. He scheduled an interview for September 13 with CNN's Fareed Zakaria. But just days before, Congress and the public became aware of a whistleblower complaint detailing Trump's pressure campaign and the July 25 phone call. On September 11, two days before Zelensky's scheduled interview and as more details continued to spill out, Trump released the aid, negating any need for Zelensky to go through with his appearance.



Republican Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi gives a masterclass in cognitive dissonance. YouTube/CSPAN Kelly gave an impassioned speech decrying the "sham" impeachment process and accused Democratic lawmakers of "repeating the same lies absent any factual basis." To that end, here's a fact check of Kelly's own claims during his 30-second speech. Kelly: "I'm saddened today that I spent two Christmases defending our country overseas, and I get a measly 30 seconds to speak in this laughable process. Our president made a campaign promise to drain the swamp, and there are those today relying on swamp creatures' words to preserve swamp." Fact check: The "swamp creatures" Kelly refers to here are over a dozen nonpartisan, career national security and foreign policy officials, many of whom still work for the Trump administration. One of the most damaging witnesses, Gordon Sondland, the US's ambassador to the EU, was tapped for his role after donating $1 million to Trump's inaugural committee. Kelly: "How do you suppress the votes of 63 million people, an electoral landslide?" Fact check: Trump won the Electoral College in 2016 but lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2 million. Kelly: "You keep repeating the same lies absent any factual basis. I've heard some of the greatest fiction ever spoken here today." Fact check: The following pieces of information have been confirmed by witness testimony, by White House notes, and by Trump's own words and those of his top allies: The president asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, over allegations of corruption.

Trump asked Zelensky to investigate purported Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election.

There is no evidence that the Bidens engaged in any corrupt dealings, or that Ukraine meddled in the race.

Trump wanted a public announcement from Zelensky committing to the investigations and did not care whether Ukraine actually carried them out.

While asking Zelensky to accede to his demands, Trump withheld $391 million in military aid and a White House meeting that Zelensky wanted.

The Ukrainians knew of the aid freeze at the time of a July 25 phone call between Trump and Zelensky, during which Trump asked Zelensky to launch the investigations.

The Ukrainians understood that the investigations were directly tied to the aid and White House meeting. Kelly: "If you don't like the facts, just rewrite them in a parody and repeat." Fact check: Republican lawmakers have repeatedly tried turning the impeachment inquiry into an investigation of the president's political rival. They've parroted Russian propaganda, pushed unfounded conspiracy theories, and accused Democrats of abusing their own power and obstructing Congress. They've also tried to reveal the identity of the whistleblower who revealed Trump's Ukraine dealings, despite the fact that the individual's identity is protected under US law. Kelly: "If the facts are so clear and indisputable, why is the minority leader begging for more witnesses? You can't disprove something that never happened." Fact check: Refer back to the bullet points above. Kelly: "I ask my colleagues to vote no to this sham. Thank you." Fact check: The impeachment inquiry has been conducted according to House rules and procedures. The president and his counsel were given the chance to attend public impeachment hearings and mount a rebuttal but declined at every turn.

Schiff's prosecutorial roots come out Getty Images House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff's handling of the floor debate differed from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler's in a pretty striking way. When Nadler controlled the proceedings from the Democratic side, he spoke at certain points but largely stuck to the pattern of yielding time to his other Democratic colleagues. When Schiff took over, he spent significantly more time slashing Republican talking points before yielding speaking time to other Democrats. His adversarial stance at nearly every turn highlighted Schiff's law enforcement roots; the California Democrat was a federal prosecutor before becoming a congressman, and his eagerness to strike down the opposing side's defenses made that clear.

Former Republican Rep. Justin Amash: 'I come to this floor not as a Democrat, not as a Republican, but as an American who cares deeply about the Constitution, the rule of law, and the rights of the people.' AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File Representative Justin Amash of Michigan, a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, made headlines this year when he defected from his party over opposition to Trump. He called for the president's impeachment following the release of the Mueller report in the Russia investigation over the summer, and he doubled down after details of the Ukraine controversy spilled out into the public. On Wednesday, he asked Democratic lawmakers for time to speak on the floor, which they yielded to him. Watch his speech below:

Democratic congressman and civil rights advocate John Lewis makes an impassioned defense of impeachment: 'We do not have kings, we have presidents.' YouTube/CSPAN Lewis has a long history as a civil rights advocate and recounted his past experiences during his emotional floor speech on Wednesday. He recalled when he and other activists traveled to Washington in the 1960s to fight for civil rights for African Americans, and to call for voting rights. "But today, this day, we didn't ask for this," Lewis said. "This is a sad day. It is not a day of joy. Our nation is founded on the principle that we do not have kings, we have presidents." "When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something," he continued. "Our children and their children will ask us: 'What did you do? What did you say?'" "We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history," Lewis concluded before yielding back his time.

Republicans called for a moment of silence to 'remember the voices of the 63 million American voters' who voted for Trump. YouTube/CSPAN Yes, it really happened. Here's a clip:

Freshman Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts: Impeachment is 'not only patriotic, it is uniquely American.' AP "What we are doing here today is not only patriotic, it is uniquely American," Pressley said. "America is a story of ordinary people confronting abuses of power with a steadfast pursuit of justice. Throughout our history, the oppressed have been relegated to the margins by the powerful, and each time, we have fought back, deliberate in our approach, clear-eyed."

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff takes the stage: Alexander Hamilton predicted Trump's rise 'with staggering prescience.' YouTube/CSPAN A few minutes later, Schiff took over leading the floor debate for Democrats. Schiff is a prominent figure in the impeachment inquiry. As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, he led the investigation from its outset and took on a central role in interviewing witnesses, gathering evidence, and putting together an extensive report laying out the legal and constitutional grounds for impeaching Trump. On Wednesday, Schiff opened by quoting Alexander Hamilton. "When a man unprincipled in private life, desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper … despotic in his ordinary demeanor, known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty - when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity, to join in the cry of danger to liberty, to take every opportunity of embarrassing the general government and bringing it under suspicion to flatter and fall in with all the nonsense of the zealots of the day - it may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may ride the storm and direct the whirlwind," Schiff said. Referring to the quote, he noted, "Hamilton seems to have predicted the rise of Donald Trump with staggering prescience."

Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert loses it after being accused of spreading Russian propaganda on the House floor. Leah Millis/Reuters Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas, a fiery conservative and one of Trump's closest allies in Congress, accused Democrats of using impeachment to "stop the investigation by the US Department of Justice and Ukraine into the corruption of Ukraine interference in the US election in 2016." Ukraine did not meddle in the race. The US intelligence community determined with high confidence that Russia was responsible for the interference, and moreover, the talking point about Ukrainian election meddling can be traced back to Russian President Vladimir Putin himself, who often points a finger at Ukraine to deflect blame. After Gohmert was finished speaking and left the podium, Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York called out his Republican colleague. "I'm deeply concerned that any member of the House would spout Russian propaganda on the floor of the House," Nadler said, and then yielded speaking time to another Democratic lawmaker. But Gohmert erupted and stormed back to the podium and demanded that Nadler take back his statement. Nadler did not.

GOP Rep. Mike Kelly compared Wednesday's impeachment vote to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. YouTube/CSPAN "On December 7, 1941, a horrific act happened in the United States and it's one that President Roosevelt said, 'This is a date that will live in infamy,'" Kelly said as he made gestures with his hands. "Today, December the 18, 2019 is another date that will live in infamy," he added. "When just because you hate the president of the United States, and you can find no reason other than the fact that you're so blinded by your hate that you can't see straight, that you've decided the only way we can make sure that this president doesn't get elected again is to impeach him." More than 2,400 people died during the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II, and 1,000 were injured.

Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia says Jesus was treated more fairly than Trump before he was crucified. YouTube/CSPAN "Before you take this historic vote today, one week before Christmas, I want you to keep this in mind," Loudermilk said. "When Jesus was falsely accused of treason, Pontius Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to face his accusers. During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than the Democrats have afforded this president and this process." Pilate was a Roman official who oversaw Jesus' trial and ordered his crucifixion. Trump has also said the women executed during the Salem witch trials in the late 1600s were granted more due process than he was.

GOP Rep. Clay Higgins went on a wild rant against Democrats and the impeachment inquiry: 'I have witnessed the terror within.' YouTube/CSPAN Republican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana went on a wild rant against Democrats and the impeachment inquiry, calling the proceedings a "horror" that show the US is being "devoured from within." Addressing Democrats, Higgins said, "Socialists who threaten unborn life in the womb, who threaten First Amendment rights of conservatives, who threaten Second Amendment protections of every American patriot," are responsible for hurting the country. "I have descended into the belly of the beast," Higgins continued. "I have witnessed the terror within. And I rise committed to oppose the insidious forces which threaten our republic." The "deep-establishment D.C." Democrats "call us deplorables," Higgins said. "They fear our vote. And they fear our president."

An overview of what Trump was accused of before Ukrainegate came to light: Reuters Republican lawmakers on Wednesday accused Democrats of engaging in a partisan impeachment inquiry by arguing that they wanted to impeach Trump before the public even learned of his dealings in Ukraine. For context, here's an outline of what Trump was accused of before Ukrainegate came to light: Obstructing justice in the Russia probe. The president was not criminally indicted for his actions, but the former special counsel Robert Mueller specified that prosecutors did not charge him because of a Justice Department memo that says sitting presidents cannot be indicted. Mueller's report on the matter also noted, "If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so."

Violating campaign finance laws. The president was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in federal prosecutors' indictment against Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who was convicted of campaign finance violations, tax evasion, and wire fraud connected to his efforts, at Trump's direction, to buy the silence of women alleging affairs with Trump in the days before the 2016 election.

Financial fraud. Cohen alleged in testimony to Congress earlier this year that the president routinely inflates and deflates his assets for loan and tax purposes, respectively. He also accused the Trump Organization of falsifying business records to conceal payments made to Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress who claims to have had an affair with Trump in 2005.

Violating the Constitution's emoluments clause. Trump has been accused by several state attorneys general and independent ethics groups of using the presidency to enrich himself. Specifically, he's accused of using the power of his office to promote his own properties, which scores of foreign government officials and diplomats have stayed at since Trump was sworn in.



Democrats make a case for why Trump needs to be impeached: Giving Trump a pass means 'giving him a green light' to 'cheat' in the election. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images Republicans have repeatedly said that Democrats are trying to overturn the results of the 2016 election and hijack the upcoming 2020 election by impeaching Trump. Democrats, in turn, have laid out a case to show that Trump has engaged in a pattern of behavior that highlights why he should be impeached before the next election. Specifically, they've pointed to the fact that he called for Russia to meddle in the 2016 election when he said during a press conference, "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," referring to the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's deleted emails. "I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press." The president's actions then, and his actions now, in which he invited another foreign power to interfere in the upcoming election, pose a "genuine threat to our system of free and fair elections," Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee said on Wednesday. "It's not just that our elections were attacked" in 2016, Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia said later. "Our elections are under attack right now ... President Trump is still at it. He's doubling down. He doesn't think he can win an election fair and square, so he's trying to cheat. To ignore these crimes is not just giving the president a pass, it's giving him a green light."

Trump rages about impeachment on Twitter moments after the White House press secretary says he will be 'working all day' Reuters At 12:42 PM, ABC reporter Karen Travers tweeted this statement from White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham: Less than five minutes later at 12:44 PM, Trump tweeted out an angry, all-caps message:

Republicans take the stage: 'The president did nothing wrong." House Television via AP "This is not a solemn occasion. When you go looking for something for three years...you ought to be excited when you found it," Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee said, adding "why do we keep calling this a solemn occasion when you've been wanting to do this?" Collins falsely claimed that Democrats "trampled" due process in the impeachment inquiry, despite the fact that Trump and his lawyers declined on multiple occasions to participate in the House impeachment inquiry. He also defended Trump's conduct in his July 25 "the call itself, the two parties say no pressure. nothing was ever done to get the money. In fact, they didn't even know the money was held." Pentagon official Laura Cooper, however, previously testified under oath before the House Intelligence Committee that Ukrainian officials did know the aid was withheld by the time of the July Trump-Zelensky call.

Pelosi pays tribute to the late congressman Elijah Cummings Reuters Pelosi also quoted the late congressman Elijah Cummings, Democrat from Maryland, who said in February, "When we're dancing with the angels the question will be asked, 'In 2019, what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy? Did we stand on the sidelines and say nothing?'" Cummings made the remark at a House Oversight hearing in February hearing the testimony of Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer.

At 12:10 PM E.T., Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave remarks to open the 6 hours of impeachment. Screenshot via C-SPAN "As speaker of the House, I solemnly and sadly open up debate on the impeachment of the president of the United States," Pelosi said, adding, "he gives us no choice." In her speech, Pelosi stood beside a large poster with the American flag and the line "to the republic for which it stands" from the Pledge of Allegiance.

A little after 11:45 a.m. ET, the House began 6 hours of debate on the articles of impeachment against Trump. Screenshot via C-SPAN The House adopted the resolution by a vote of 228-197 to debate each article of impeachment for three hours.

Protesters are seen demonstrating as the House of Representatives begins debate on the articles of impeachment against Trump. AP

A recent Fox News poll found that a majority of US voters believe Trump abuse his power and should be impeached. AP Source: Fox News

Protesters swarm the streets outside the Capitol as the House debates impeachment. AP

Hillary Clinton weighs in: 'Impeachment is the only remedy.' Getty "One of our most precious rights as Americans is the right to determine who our leaders are," the former first lady and secretary of state tweeted. She continued: "The president abused his powers to cheat in the next election and rob us of that right. Then he obstructed Congress to cover it up. Impeachment is the only remedy. #DefendOurDemocracy"

An overview of Republican defenses presented against impeachment so far (and why they don't hold up). AP While speaking out against impeachment, Republican lawmakers tossed out a slew of defenses, majority of which they've argued throughout the inquiry. Here's what they said, and why it doesn't hold up: The evidence presented in the inquiry is based on secondhand, thirdhand, and fourth-hand information. This is inaccurate. The whistleblower complaint detailing Trump's actions was based on hearsay but has since been confirmed by several witnesses who directly listened in on the July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that is at the center of the impeachment inquiry. During the call, Trump repeatedly pressured Zelensky to interfere in the 2020 election by investigating former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, over baseless allegations of corruption. He also asked Zelensky to look into a bogus conspiracy theory suggesting Ukraine colluded with the Democrats to meddle in the 2016 race. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, and Jennifer Williams, a State Department official detailed to Vice President Mike Pence's office, heard the phone call and testified that they found it inappropriate and unusual.

The transcript of the phone call speaks for itself. The White House has not released a transcript of the conversation. But a summary of the call confirmed the whistleblower's complaint and showed Trump repeatedly urging Zelensky to work with his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to dig up or manufacture dirt on the Bidens.

There was no quid pro quo. This phrase is defined as: a favor or advantage granted or expected in return for something. Gordon Sondland, the US's ambassador to the European Union, testified that the president engaged in a quid pro quo in which "everything" - meaning military aid and a White House meeting for Zelensky - was dependent on the Ukrainian president making a public announcement of investigations into the Bidens and the conspiracy theory alleging Ukrainian interference. Ukrainian officials also understood throughout the course of Trump's pressure campaign that military assistance and, more broadly, a strong relationship with the president, was based on acceding to his political demands.

Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky, have said they did not feel pressured to give in to Trump's conditions. It's true that Zelensky said he didn't feel pressured and that there was "no blackmail." But context matters, especially in a geopolitical relationship like this one, where there's a clear imbalance of power. Insider's John Haltiwanger reported last month that Ukraine is still reliant on US military assistance as it fends off Russian aggression. By acknowledging feeling pressured, Zelensky would risk angering Trump. As David Holmes, a senior staffer in the US Embassy in Kyiv testified last month: "Whether the hold, the security assistance hold, continued or not, Ukrainians understood that that's something the president wanted and they still wanted important things from the president. So I think that continues to this day. I think they're being very careful. They still need us now going forward."

Military aid to Ukraine eventually went through. Timing is everything. After months of Trump and his allies pressuring Zelensky to do a television interview publicly committing to the investigations the president wanted, Zelensky was ready to cave. He scheduled an interview for September 13 with CNN's Fareed Zakaria. But just days before, Congress and the public became aware of a whistleblower complaint detailing Trump's pressure campaign and the July 25 phone call. On September 11, two days before Zelensky's scheduled interview and as more details continued to spill out, Trump released the aid, negating any need for Zelensky to go through with his appearance.



Democrats and Republicans spar over the rules of debate. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite After voting to table McCarthy's motion, the House kicked off an hour of debate over the rules and parameters of the final debate on articles of impeachment against Trump. Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern, the chairman of the House Rules Committee, began by outlining how Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine while soliciting its interference in the 2020 election to "extract a personal political favor." "The President of the United States endangered our national security," McGovern said. "The president undermined our democracy." Republican Rep. Tom Cole fired back and skewered Democrats for having "trampled on" the Republican minority's rights throughout the impeachment inquiry. "Today is a very sad day for all of us," Cole said, and said the final impeachment vote would be a "deeply partisan" one "coming at the end of an unfair and rushed process." McGovern rebutted Cole's assertions and noted that Trump and his lawyers were given an opportunity to participate in impeachment hearings but declined to do so.

Democrats table McCarthy's motion by a vote of 228-191. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Trump on what would happen if President Barack Obama were impeached in 2014: 'He would be a mess. He would be thinking about nothing but. It would be a horror show for him. It would be an absolute embarrassment. It would go down on his record permanently.' Evan Vucci/AP Images, Mark Wilson/Getty Images As lawmakers voted on McCarthy's resolution, CNN's KFILE dug up a clip from 2014 in which Trump opined on what would happen if President Barack Obama were impeached.

Democrats seek to block 2 Republican motions. Fox News/YouTube The House gaveled in at 9 a.m., and GOP Rep. Andy Biggs, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, immediately made a motion to adjourn proceedings. Democrats blocked Biggs' motion in a party-line vote of 226-188. House minority leader Kevin McCarthy also filed a resolution disapproving of the way House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler conducted the impeachment inquiry and hearings. Overall, McCarthy's resolution said, Schiff's and Nadler's conduct meant the inquiry as a whole is illegitimate. Democrats filed a motion to table McCarthy's resolution, which the House is currently voting on.