The House of Representatives on Thursday night overwhelmingly rejected an attempt to impeach President Donald Trump, with a significant number of Democrats joining Republicans to quash the privileged resolution introduced by Rep. Al Green (D-TX). The motion, formally designated H.R. 939, sought to impeach Trump for “high crimes and misdemeanors.” The final vote to table (or set aside) the measure was 237 to 140, with 47 “present” votes, effectively killing the impeachment effort for the second time this year.
Green Accuses Trump of ‘Abuse of Presidential Power’
Rep. Al Green, a consistent voice in favor of impeaching the President, filed the resolution on Wednesday, forcefully arguing that Trump is “an abuser of presidential power.” The Texas Democrat asserted that the President is “engendering invidious hate, putting American lives at risk, undermining our democracy, and dissolving our Republic.” Green specifically cited Trump’s fiery response to a video from Democratic lawmakers that urged military and intelligence officials to refuse “illegal orders” from the administration. Green argued that Trump’s suggestion that sedition is “punishable by death” would have triggered an impeachment vote from the opposition party against any other president. Invoking the legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rep. John Lewis, Green called on his colleagues to “take a stand,” declaring he would proceed “even if I must stand alone.”
Democratic Disunity and Leadership’s ‘Present’ Vote
The motion to table was introduced by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and passed with broad bipartisan support. Crucially, 23 Democrats sided with all Republicans to vote “yes” on the motion to table, including prominent names such as Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Josh Riley (D-NY), Jared Golden (D-ME), and Sharice Davids (D-KS). Furthermore, all 47 “present” votes came from Democrats. This group notably included the entire senior Democratic leadership: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA). The “present” vote signals a desire not to fully endorse the impeachment effort at this time, while also refusing to vote with Republicans to dismiss the motion outright.
Second Failed Attempt Underscores Split in Democratic Caucus
This latest defeat marks the second time this year that an impeachment resolution brought by Rep. Green has been rejected by the House. A previous measure in June was quashed by a much wider margin of 344-79, with 128 Democrats then joining all Republicans to kill the motion. While the number of Democrats voting to table decreased significantly in this latest vote (from 128 to 23), the leadership’s choice to vote “present” underscores a deep division within the Democratic Caucus over the timing and strategy of attempting to impeach President Trump without a formal, comprehensive investigation led by the majority.