House to go ahead with Trump’s impeachment: Speaker

Washington, December 5

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that the House is moving forward to draft articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

“Our democracy is what is at stake,” Pelosi said. "The president leaves us no choice but to act.” Pelosi delivered the historic announcement as Democrats push toward a vote, possibly by Christmas.

She said she was authorising the drafting of articles of impeachment “sadly but with confidence and humility”. “The president's actions have seriously violated the Constitution,” Pelosi said.

At the heart of the impeachment probe is a July call with the president of Ukraine, in which Trump pressed the leader to investigate Democrats and political rival Joe Biden as Trump was withholding aid to the country.

“Our democracy is what is at stake," Pelosi said in her solemn announcement. “The president leaves us no choice but to act because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit. The president has engaged in abuse of power, undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections.” Earlier in the day, Pelosi announced that she would deliver an unusual public statement on the status of the House impeachment inquiry into President Trump.

Democrats are charging toward a Christmas time vote on removing the 45th president, a situation Pelosi hoped to avoid but which now seems inevitable.

On Wednesday, Pelosi met behind closed doors with her Democratic caucus, asking, "Äre you ready?" The answer was a resounding yes, according to those in the room.

She made the morning statement from the speaker's offices at the Capitol, the same location where she declared the formal launch of the House investigation into Trump's actions toward Ukraine. — AP

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