House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiPowell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy Overnight Defense: House to vote on military justice bill spurred by Vanessa Guillén death | Biden courts veterans after Trump's military controversies Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings MORE (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Chuck SchumerDemocrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise Pelosi, Schumer 'encouraged' by Trump call for bigger coronavirus relief package Schumer, Sanders call for Senate panel to address election security MORE (D-N.Y.) praised Sen. Mitt Romney Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyThe Memo: Warning signs flash for Trump on debates GOP votes to authorize subpoenas, depositions in Obama-era probe Overnight Defense: Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing l Air Force reveals it secretly built and flew new fighter jet l Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' MORE (R-Utah) for being the only Republican to vote to convict President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE on an article of impeachment.

Romney, the GOP's 2012 nominee for president, voted to convict Trump on abuse of power. He did not vote to convict on the second article of obstruction of Congress.

"I do want to salute Mitt Romney,” Schumer told reporters after the vote on Wednesday. “The pressure on every Republican was enormous. ... The fact that this is bipartisan holds up a beacon to what was right and what was wrong.”

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According to CNN, Pelosi later called Romney’s move “very courageous.” The two leaders followed a flood of support from other Democratic lawmakers.

Just now: @SpeakerPelosi Speaker Pelosi said “very courageous” when askedby reporters what she thought about Mitt Romney’s abuse of power impeachment vote — Laurie Ure (@LaurieUreCNN) February 5, 2020

On Wednesday the Senate voted 48-52 on the abuse of power charge and 47-53 on the obstruction charge, falling short of the two-thirds requirement for convicting Trump and removing him office. Romney was the only member of the chamber who crossed party lines for the vote.

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Romney has received ire from Republican operatives, including the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., as well as his niece, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDanniel, and his former campaign press secretary, Rick Gorka.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE (R-Ky.) said he was "surprised and disappointed" by Romney's decision, but indicated that he would not face a formal punishment from the caucus.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Romney said his decision to convict Trump was a hard one. He said he expected some backlash from his decision.

“I’m aware there are people in my party and in my state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision and in some quarters I will be vehemently denounced. I’m sure to hear abuse from the president and his supporters,” he said. “...Does anyone seriously believe that I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded of me?”