Live: Debate continue in House of representatives over impeachment charge against Trump

Washington: The US House of Representatives has opened a historic session on the second impeachment of President Donald Trump over his support for the last week attack on the Capitol that left five people dead.

Lawmakers are debating an article of impeachment on Wednesday accusing President Trump of inciting the January 6 attack on the US Capitol building. A vote on the impeachment resolution charging the president with “high crimes and misdemeanors” is expected sometime Wednesday afternoon, according to reports. President Trump was acquitted on two articles of impeachment in 2020.

A week after a mob stormed the US Capitol, the House will vote — for the first time in history — to impeach a sitting president twice. This time around, a handful of Republicans will be with them as the GOP reckons with its future.

A vote is expected later this afternoon. If it passes, Mr. Trump would be the first president in history to be impeached twice. Speaker Pelosi named 9 House Democrats as impeachment managers for the Senate trial of President Trump. The lead impeachment manager is Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and seven of the nine are women, people of color or LGBTQ.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters late last night that the article won’t be held back by the House and the “presumption is within a very short time” it will be transmitted to the Senate.

Updates:

-The Senate will not convene until next week to hold a trial for the president, according to a spokesperson for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

– Six Republican members of Congress have announced plans to vote to impeach Trump

– On Tuesday, Speaker Pelosi named nine House impeachment managers for Trump’s Senate trial

– VP Pence said on Tuesday that he will not invoke the 25th Amendment at the House’s urging