Washington: The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to send articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate, in a major development to remove him from office for his alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
In a 228-193 vote, which was mainly on party lines, the House appointed seven impeachment managers who will argue the Democrats' case for removing Trump from the office of the US President.
The managers were named by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The 435-member House, where Democrats enjoy a majority, on December 18 charged Trump with "high crimes and misdemeanours" and impeached him for pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political rival.
Congressman Adam Schiff, chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is the lead manager.
The other managers are Congressman Jerry Nadler, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, chairwoman of the House Committee on House Administration, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, Chairman of the House Democratic and Congresswoman Val Dening Demings, a member of both the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Judiciary Committee.
The impeachment process now moves to the Senate where Trump's Republican party has a majority in the 100-member Upper House.
The trial - likely to begin on January 21 - would be presided by the Supreme Court Chief Justice. The White House will defend the President during the trial.
Given that the Senate has a majority in the Senate, White House is confident that Trump will sail through the process.
During a China trade deal signing ceremony at the White House, Trump described this as a hoax and asserted that it is going week.
The Trump Campaign slammed Pelosi for the impeachment process.
"The fact that Nancy Pelosi sat on the articles of impeachment for as long as she did just proves that there was never any urgency and that it was just a failed attempt to politically damage President Trump leading up to his re-election," alleged Brad Parscale, Trump 2020 campaign manager.
"This was a sham impeachment from the beginning and never anything more than Democrats trying to interfere in an election that is now less than ten months away," Parscale said.
Speaking on the House floor, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said that this trial is necessary because Trump gravely abused the power of his office when he strong-armed a foreign government to announce investigations into his domestic political rival.
"He betrayed our country when he used the powers of his office -- including withholding vital US military assistance -- to pressure that government to help him win re-election," Nadler said.
"He invited foreign interference into our elections - again. He jeopardised our national security. He did it all for his personal, political gain. And then he violated the Constitution by stonewalling Congress' efforts to investigate, ordering an absolute blockade of evidence," the Democratic lawmaker said.
"Despite that, the House was able to uncover powerful evidence that demonstrates beyond doubt the President's betrayal and violations of the Constitution," he said.
(PTI)