House Democrats leave the briefing room Wednesday after seven lawmakers were named managers in President Donald Trump's upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces seven Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday, who will serve as managers at the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill Wednesday after he was named one of seven Democratic case managers who will present the case against President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial in the Senate. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., signs two articles of the impeachment against President Donald Trump during the engrossment ceremony in the Rayburn Room of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell invited the House managers to the Senate on Thursday when he will officially receive the articles of impeachment. Photo by Jose Luis Magana/UPI

Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Cheryl Johnson and Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives Paul Irving, followed by impeachment managers, transfer the articles of impeachment from the House to the Senate. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI

Jan. 15 (UPI) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed off on articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Wednesday, setting the stage for the Senate to receive the charges.

In a speech before the documents were sent to the Senate, Pelosi said the House managers would make history by delivering the articles charging Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of the House.


"As we make that history we will be making progress for the American people, progress in support of our Constitution, progress in honor of the sacrifice and the vision of our founders, progress in honor of the sacrifice of our men and women and uniform and progress for the future of our children," she said.

House managers walked the documents to the Senate where they were met by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who invited the House managers to present the articles of impeachment on Thursday.

"The Senate is ready to receive the managers of the House with the purpose of exhibiting articles of impeachment against Donald John Trump," McConnell said.

After the articles are presented Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will be sworn in for the trial, followed by the senators who will serve as jurors.


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The House voted Wednesday to send the Senate two articles of impeachment against Trump, after Democrats held onto the charging documents for a month hoping to receive some assurances there will be an impartial trial.

The lower chamber voted 228-193 to transmit the articles a short time before the vote, Pelosi assigned seven Democratic lawmakers as case managers for the Senate trial, which is now expected to begin early next week.

The Democratic case managers, who will present the case against Trump at trial, are intelligence committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, judiciary committee chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler, and Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Val Demings of Florida, Zoe Lofgren of California, Jason Crow of Colorado and Sylvia Garcia of Texas.

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"Today is an important day," Pelosi said at a press briefing Wednesday morning. "The emphasis is making the strongest possible case to protect and defend our constitution, to seek the truth for the American people.

"The Constitution and our oaths to protect it are at stake. That's what the Senate must consider."

"The managers of the impeachment trial of the president are public servants committed to protecting our Constitution -- and have the litigation and courtroom experience necessary to execute this task," she added in a tweet.

The White House, meanwhile, is finalizing the legal team that will defend Trump. Jay Sekulow, Trump's personal attorney, said he's part of the team headed by White House counsel Pat Cipollone.


Cipollone and Sekulow will be joined on the team by White House attorneys Patrick Philbin and Michael Purpura, the Washington Examiner reported.

The charges against Trump stem from his dealings with Ukraine last year -- specifically, his efforts pressing Kiev to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, a former board member of a Ukrainian gas company.

In an interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Wednesday, Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump's attorney Rudy Guiliani, revealed new allegations that Trump had threatened to withhold more than just military aid from Ukraine as was originally claimed unless it investigates the Bidens.

He said he "gave a very harsh message" to a Ukrainian presidential aide on behalf of Trump threatening all U.S. aid would be withheld unless the government announced the investigation.

"It wasn't just military aid, it was all aid," he said.

Parnas also said that Trump "knew exactly what was going on" despite the president's denials of having done anything wrong.

Cipollone, 53, has been a vocal critic of the House's impeachment process and is considered the main force behind White House efforts that blocked most witnesses in the administration from testifying during the lower chamber's inquiry.

An Oct. 8 White House letter called the process "partisan and unconstitutional" and made a case for a broad interpretation of executive privilege covering nearly every aspect of presidential conduct.

Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer hoped to persuade McConnell to allow certain witnesses and new evidence at trial. The stalemate ended, however, when the Kentucky Republican said this week he's already secured enough support in the chamber to move ahead without Democrats' involvement.


House Democrats released an example of the new evidence on Tuesday -- documents they say show Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani pressed Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. They said the records, provided by an attorney for Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, also indicate U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch had been placed under surveillance.

Yovanovitch, who was removed from her diplomatic post last May, was among a number of witnesses who testified during the House impeachment hearings. She said Trump mounted a "smear campaign" as retaliation for her opposition to Giuliani's efforts in Ukraine.

In light of the new evidence, Yovanovitch is now calling for an investigation of the surveillance claims, which she called "disturbing."

This week in Washington License Photo President Donald Trump delivers remarks as the Louisiana State University Tigers visit the East Room of the White House on Friday. The team is celebrating their college football national championship. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., speaks to reporters as he walks to early proceedings in the impeachment trial of Trump on Thursday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaves the Senate floor as early proceedings are underway in the trial. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., holds a news conference after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts swore in senators to serve as jurors in the trial. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo Roberts leaves the U.S. Capitol after the swearing-in. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo Roberts walks to the Senate floor on Thursday where he will preside over the trial. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo Roberts is escorted by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. (L), and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., holds her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill on Thursday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo House impeachment managers House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., walk from the House to the Senate in the U.S. Capitol rotunda on Thursday. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo License Photo Trump speaks to reporters on National Religious Freedom Day as he participates in the announcement of new guidance on prayer in public schools in the Oval Office on Thursday. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | Trump hosts a group of students from Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths for the announcement. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo License Photo Pelosi signs two articles of impeachment against Trump in the Rayburn Room of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Pelosi is joined by committee chairmen and impeachment managers Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | The two articles of impeachment charge Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo The pens used by Pelosi to sign the two articles of the impeachment. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving and Clerk of the House Cheryl Johnson, followed by the impeachment managers, walk to the Senate to deliver the two signed articles of the impeachment of President Donald Trump in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo License Photo Trump (R) shakes hands with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He after they signed the first part of a trade deal during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | The deal will cancel upcoming planned tariffs on Chinese-made products and reduces others while Chine agrees to increase purchases of U.S. farm products and other goods. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo Trump and administration officials have lunch with Liu and his delegation after the signing of the deal. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo License Photo House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (C) names the managers Wednesday for Trump's impeachment trial. They are, from left to right, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, House judiciary committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., House intelligence committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | Air Force One prepares to take off as Trump departs Washington for a campaign rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday at Joint Base Andrews, Md. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo White House legislative director Eric Ueland speaks to reporters after the Senate Republican weekly luncheon in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., joined by fellow Republican leaders, talks to the media on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer participates in a news conference following the Senate Democratic caucus weekly luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo License Photo Pelosi speaks during a news conference marking the 10-year anniversary of the Citizens United campaign finance decision on Tuesday. It was announced earlier that House Democrats plan to vote Wednesday to send two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate and to appoint managers for his trial. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks to reporters about the impeachment of Trump in the Senate subway station at Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. Hakeem Jeffries holds a news conference on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo Pelosi emerges from a closed Democratic Caucus meeting in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland walks through the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo House intelligence committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff makes his way to the caucus. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI. | License Photo House judiciary committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler answers questions on his way to the caucus. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo License Photo Trump waves from Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday. He and first lady Melania Trump attended the College Football Playoff National Championship in New Orleans. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | Trump greets supporters before boarding the helicopter. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo Melania Trump walks in front of supporters on her way to the helicopter. Photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI | License Photo Trump talks to the media before boarding. Photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI | License Photo License Photo The Trump administration filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court on Monday to lift a hold preventing it from strengthening requirements for granting residency to immigrants. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI |