House votes to send impeachment articles to Senate, approve 7 members as prosecutors in trial against Trump

The House on Wednesday voted to send the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate and approved seven Democrats to serve as prosecutors in the trial of a third United States president.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi named a team of managers led by two trusted lieutenants, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, according to The Washington Post.

The House voted 228 to 193 largely along party lines to send the Senate the two articles accusing Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

In her opening arguments, Pelosi said that the impeachment wasn't political, personal or partisan, but patriotic.

"This is as serious it gets for any of us," Pelosi said.

"Only the vote to declare war would be something more serious than this," she added.

Later today, the managers plan to forward the articles across the Capitol and present them to the chamber led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has repeatedly characterized the House case as weak.

Senators announced new rules on behaviour and movement in the Capitol during the trial. They include restrictions that affect journalists and even conversations on the Senate floor.

On December 18, Trump was impeached by the Democrat-led House of Representatives for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

The President faces two charges approved by the House. First, that he abused power by pushing Ukraine to investigate his Democratic political rival, Joe Biden, holding back US military funds to the country as leverage. And second, that he then obstructed Congress by blocking witnesses and testimony in the House probe.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has argued that the president's conduct when it came to Ukraine left Democrats with "no choice but to act," charging that Trump abused the powers of the presidency and leaving little doubt that the House will hold a vote to impeach him as early as before Christmas 2019.

However, the Republicans blasted the impeachment and called it unjustified, unfair and entirely political.