On December 18, 2019, the House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The first concerned the administration’s dealings with Ukraine; the second concerned the White House’s resistance to the House investigation.
The votes followed committee hearings, witness interviews, document requests, and a Judiciary Committee report. House managers argued that Trump had used presidential authority for personal political advantage and obstructed congressional oversight. Trump rejected the charges as partisan and improper.
An impeachment vote is a formal constitutional accusation, not a criminal conviction or removal from office. The Senate alone has the power to try impeachments and must reach a two-thirds majority to convict. Both articles proceeded to a Senate trial in early 2020.
The House vote was a formal constitutional act. It adopted the articles and sent them to the Senate, where a separate trial and a different voting threshold applied.
The House ultimately adopted two articles in December 2019: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The first addressed the alleged use of official powers to seek investigations from Ukraine; the second addressed the administration's response to congressional subpoenas. These were accusations made in an impeachment proceeding, not criminal convictions. The Senate acquitted Trump in February 2020, leaving a documentary record of the dispute but no Senate judgment removing him from office.
The House approved two articles in December 2019: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Each concerned a different alleged wrong. The first focused on the use of presidential authority in relation to Ukraine; the second concerned the administration's response to congressional subpoenas and demands for testimony.
Impeachment by the House is an accusation under the Constitution, not removal from office. The vote sent the articles to the Senate for trial. Preserving that sequence helps explain why an impeachment can be historically significant even when the Senate does not convict, and why the votes on each article should be recorded separately.