WASHINGTON—Warning that allowing them to vote without proper documentation would undermine the sanctity of the democratic process, the House GOP turned away dozens of Democrats from impeaching President Donald Trump Wednesday after determining they did not have adequate voter ID. “This is simply a precautionary measure to make sure that these individuals are, in fact, real U.S. representatives who would be eligible to engage in this process,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), telling reporters that he had been forced to prevent numerous members, including John Lewis, Maxine Waters, and James Clyburn, from entering the congressional chamber since they had not been able to show two forms of government-issued identification, as well as a utility bill, to establish residency. “Yes, providing adequate ID is a little annoying, but without oversight, these so-called members of Congress could run amok, voting in multiple districts and leading to a fraudulent impeachment. We simply cannot allow this to happen, so if we come across any representatives who appear suspicious, it’s imperative we make sure they’re thoroughly scrutinized.” Gaetz added that in order to relieve exhausted congressional staffers, impeachment voting had closed several hours early.

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