News Desk :
The US House of Representatives is debating rules on an expected impeachment vote against President Donald Trump, accusing him of “incitement of insurrection” for his behaviour and remarks leading up to last Wednesday’s siege of the US Capitol.
The House has voted 221 to 203 to begin debating an article of impeachment against Trump.
Members are expected to vote on the article around 15:00 EST (20:00 GMT) and all eyes are on how many Republicans will join Democrats in voting to impeach, report agencies.
Several Republicans, including the third-highest ranking House Republican, Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney – the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney – have indicated they support impeachment.
The move comes after Vice President Mike Pence said he would not invoke the 25th Amendment and declare Trump unable to perform duties.
Representative Jim Jordan, the first Republican to speak during the debate on impeachment, accused Democrats of being motivated by “politics and the fact they want to cancel the president”.
Jordan portrayed the second attempt to impeach Trump as the continuation of a Democratic vendetta against the president that preceded the Capitol Hill violence.
“It’s always been about getting the president, no matter what,” he said. He added that Democrats have been obsessed with “cancelling the president and anyone that disagrees with them.”
“And now with just one week left, they’re still trying,” said Jordan who has been the most vocal defender of Trump in the House since the mob attack.
“In seven days, there will be a peaceful transfer of power just like there has been every other time in our country but Democrats are gonna impeach President Trump again. This doesn’t unite the country,” Jordan said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has begun a two-hour period of debate proceeding a vote on an article of impeachment against Trump, calling the president a “clear and present danger” to the country.
“We know we experienced the insurrection that violated the sanctity of the People’s capital and attempted to overturn the duly recorded will of the American people,” Pelosi said. “And we know that the President of the United States incited this insurrection this armed rebellion against our common country.”
“He must go,” she said.
Pelosi called the rioters who breached the Capitol “domestic terrorists”.
“Those insurrectionists were not patriots. They were not part of a political base to be catered to. They were domestic terrorists and justice must prevail,” Pelosi said.
