WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to impeach President Donald Trump.
The full House voted Wednesday night to approve both articles of impeachment. It makes the 45th president only the third commander in chief to face the penalty of impeachment after Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Richard Nixon resigned before the House could vote.
No Republican crossed over party lines to vote for either article of impeachment.
What did Ohio’s members of Congress have to say about how they voted? Here was a rundown, along with comments made on social media and in statements:
District 1 - Rep. Steve Chabot (R) - Against impeachment.
District 2 - Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R) - Against impeachment.
District 3 - Rep. Joyce Beatty (D) - For impeachment.
District 4 - Rep. Jim Jordan (R) - Against impeachment.
District 5 - Rep. Robert Latta (R) - Against impeachment.
District 6 - Rep. Bill Johnson (R) - Against impeachment.
District 7 - Rep. Bob Gibbs (R) - Against impeachment.
District 8 - Rep. Warren Davidson (R) - Against impeachment.
District 9 - Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D) - For impeachment. The northern Ohio Democrat said in a statement: "Members of Congress swear a solemn oath to protect and defend our Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. Today, we fulfilled our Oath. No person runs for Congress with the desire to impeach a President – I certainly did not. For the sake of our democracy, we pray impeachment is never necessary."
District 10 - Rep. Michael Turner (R) - Likely against impeachment. The Dayton-area Republican has yet to post a statement, but had a well-publicized exchange during the impeachment inquiry when he asked Gordon Sondland, "No one on this planet told you that the president was trying to aid investigators, yes or no?" The diplomat responded: "Yes."
District 11 - Rep. Marcia Fudge (D) - For impeachment.
District 12 - Rep. Troy Balderson (R) - Against impeachment.
District 13 - Rep. Tim Ryan (D) - For impeachment. Ryan posted the following statement after the vote: “It is with a heavy heart that I cast my vote for impeachment today, but we cannot have a President that is above the law. If my constituents do something wrong then they face the consequences. There is overwhelming evidence that the President used his public office and taxpayer money for personal and political gain. His actions threaten our free and fair elections, our national security, and our democracy. Today the House of Representative voted to hold him accountable.
“The President is not a king. In Article 1 of the Constitution, the Founding Fathers created Congress to write our laws and act as a check on the Executive Branch. This duty is not held lightly. Every member of Congress takes an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and it is now more important than ever before to remember this pledge. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to remember the sacred oath they swore to uphold and put country before party.”
District 14 - Rep. David Joyce (R) - Against impeachment.
District 15 - Rep. Steve Stivers (R) - Against impeachment. “After studying the reports, I did not see conclusive evidence that the President has committed a crime, and this has not reached the high bar that I hold for impeachment. I believe that the power of impeachment should only be used in extreme cases, as it overturns the will of the people and further divides an already-divided nation. I trust the voters to make decisions through the electoral process, and there is an election in less than a year. For that reason, I did not vote in favor of the articles of impeachment.
Despite today’s outcome, I am hopeful that we can all move forward and address the very real problems facing our nation that have gone by the wayside as this process has consumed Washington, including support for our military and veterans, lowering health care costs, and keeping our economy thriving.”
District 16 - Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R) - Against impeachment.
The impeachment case now heads to the United States Senate for trial. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio made the following statement after the House voted to impeach President Trump:
“This is a solemn day for our country and an important one for the future of our democracy. We are following the process laid out by the founders in the Constitution, and every Senator owes it to the American people to be an impartial juror focused on the facts. I will listen to the evidence and weigh the facts of the case before coming to any decision. I urge my colleagues, of both parties, to do the same.”