The Daily - The Latest: Impeachment Vote Update, 5:30 P.M. Eastern

Episode Date: December 18, 2019

The House is expected to vote tonight along party lines to impeach the president. But before that can take place, there must be speeches — lots of them. These speeches are the last chance lawmakers have to get their words in the history books before they cast their ballots. Here’s what they had to say.“The Latest” is a series on the impeachment process, from the team behind “The Daily.” You can find more information about it here.

In 767, the House will proceed to the immediate consideration of House Resolution 755. The Clerk will report the resolution. House Calendar No. 61, House Resolution 755, resolved that Donald John Trump, President of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate. Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America against Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high-fives. All right. This is Nick Fandos,

congressional reporter for The New York Times. I just stepped out of the House chamber where the debate leading up to Wednesday's impeachment vote has been going on for about five hours now. The latest at this moment is that knowing the historical nature of what's going to happen this evening, knowing the House will vote for only the third time in history to impeach the president,

the Democrats and the Republicans. This is a matter of protecting the integrity of our democracy for the next generation. Are going back and forth. I believe the Democrats are tearing this country apart. Setting down and essentially trying to cement for the history books. tearing this country apart. Setting down and essentially trying to cement for the history books. The reality and urgency of this moment cannot be more consequential to the American democracy. The way in which they hope that this day and their vote tonight will be remembered.

When the framers granted the House the power to impeach, they feared that it would be abused. Today, those fears are realized. It's basically a long day of short speeches on the House floor. The rule of law is what separates us from third world countries. The last chance for members to be heard before they cast their ballots. For the first time in history, a president is on the brink of being impeached with the votes of one single party. And as would be expected, each side is hoping that Americans will think of this day in exactly the opposite way as single party. And, as would be expected, each side is hoping that Americans

will think of this day in exactly the opposite way as the other. This is a moment that you will read about in your history books. Today, I will vote to impeach the president of the United States. This was really on display in the speeches from Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler... Gentleman from New York. ...and his Republican counterpart, Doug Collins. Gentleman from Georgia.

On the first article of impeachment, Abuse of Power, Nadler says it's... To our founding generation, abuse of power was a specific, well-defined defense. A president may not misuse the powers of the presidency to obtain an improper personal benefit. The evidence shows that President Trump did exactly that. Because what we found here today is a president who did not do as being charged. Collins says it's amorphous. That you're going to hear many, many arguments about on the second article of impeachment obstruction of Congress. Many presidents, including President

Trump, have asserted privileges and other objections to specific subpoenas. Nowler says the president showed categorical defiance of congressional investigative power. But only President Trump has ordered the categorical defiance of a congressional investigation, the automatic rejection of all subpoenas. Collins says the congressional Democrats are acting like petulant children saying we didn't get our way when we didn't ask the right way. Like petulant children. On the facts of the case. By his actions, President Trump has broken his oath of office. They do not care about facts. They do not care about time.

On the process that led us here. The president may not decide for himself what constitutes a valid impeachment inquiry. Because he can't make the case to his own members, so he's having to ask for witnesses. On every point, Nadler says up and Collins says down. Nadler says left and Collins says right. His actions warrant his impeachment and demand his removal from office. The president did nothing wrong in this issue. We've heard a lot of this over the last couple of weeks,

but these two speeches and those from other members unfolding all day are about getting it on record just right one last time so that when Americans turn on their TV tonight or pick up their newspapers tomorrow, they understand what their representative thinks of what's going on here. So that's the latest from Washington. So that's the latest from Washington. We're expecting that after a couple more hours of this, around 7.30 p.m. Eastern tonight, the House will vote along party lines to impeach the president of the United States. We'll have the story of that vote tomorrow morning on The Daily.