Votes to impeach trump
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Executive summary
The House on Dec. 11, 2025, voted 237–140 to table Rep. Al Green’s privileged resolution to impeach President Donald J. Trump; 47 Democrats voted “present” and 23 Democrats voted with Republicans to table the measure [1] [2]. Green filed H.Res.939 (and earlier related resolutions are listed on Congress.gov) charging abuse of power and threats that have endangered lawmakers and judges [3] [4].
1. What happened on the House floor — the vote and its arithmetic
A Republican motion to “table” Rep. Al Green’s H.Res.939 prevailed 237–140, effectively killing the immediate impeachment push; 47 Democrats cast “present” votes while 23 Democrats joined Republicans voting to table, with a small number not voting according to Green’s office and contemporary press accounts [1] [2] [5].
2. Who is driving the effort and what are the articles?
The drive came from Rep. Al Green (D‑Texas), who used a privileged motion to force a floor vote after filing H.Res.939 alleging abuse of presidential power and that Trump’s rhetoric fostered threats and violence against members of Congress and federal judges; the congressman published his filing and accompanying explanation on his website [3] [6]. Congress.gov also lists multiple House impeachment resolutions filed this Congress, reflecting parallel or prior efforts [4] [7].
3. Why many Democrats stalled or voted “present”
Democratic leaders and many rank‑and‑file Democrats signaled reluctance to move a snap impeachment without a fuller investigation and committee process; leaders instead voted “present” to avoid aiding a symbolic floor effort that they argued lacked prior deliberation [2] [8]. Critics within the party expressed anger that the gesture was quashed, while others defended caution, saying impeachment requires investigation and process before trial [8].
4. Political calculations behind the tally
Reporting frames the vote as a partisan and tactical calculation: Republicans voted to table en masse; Democrats split between procedural caution and support for accountability. Some Democrats feared impeachment could backfire politically or be dismissed as performative without committee work, a concern highlighted in coverage and quotes from members who voted “present” [5] [8].
5. What this means practically — no impeachment trial now
Tabling H.Res.939 removed the immediate path to an impeachment vote and thus precluded sending articles to the Senate at this time; Al Green’s resolution was not advanced, so the House did not open an impeachment inquiry or refer articles to the Judiciary Committee as a result of this vote [1] [2]. Congress.gov entries show other resolutions can still be filed or referred, but available sources do not indicate any committee‑led impeachment inquiry tied to this vote [4] [7].
6. Competing narratives and implicit agendas
Al Green and his allies present the move as urgent accountability for threats and erosion of judicial independence; Green’s office emphasized threats to lawmakers and judges as the heart of his articles [3] [1]. Democratic leadership framed their “present” votes as preserving institutional process and protecting the party from a symbolic clash that could energize the GOP — an institutionalist line reported across outlets [2] [8]. Conservative outlets portrayed the outcome as Democrats quashing progressives’ demands and avoiding confrontation with Trump [9].
7. What the vote tells us about impeachment as a tool now
The episode underscores that impeachment remains an extreme, highly politicized tool: some members see it as constitutionally necessary for alleged abuses; others treat it as requiring exhaustive fact‑finding to avoid appearing frivolous. News analysis notes past impeachments of Trump and political fallout influence present calculations, leaving impeachment as both a legal and political weapon in Congress [5] [10].
8. Limits of current reporting and what’s not yet known
Available sources document the vote, the filings, and immediate reactions, but they do not provide a full roll call listing of every lawmaker’s vote in these summaries or a definitive account of all internal caucus deliberations; Green’s press materials say a copy of members’ votes is accessible but comprehensive committee hearings or a new inquiry are not described in current reporting [1] [3].