Impeachment hits House floor: What to watch on historic vote

House Rules Committee chairman Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., speaks during a House Rules Committee hearing on the impeachment against President Donald Trump, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) House Rules Committee chairman Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., speaks during a House Rules Committee hearing on the impeachment against President Donald Trump, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)

By LAURIE KELLMAN / The Associated Press December 18, 2019 5 min read

Read President Trump’s letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

WASHINGTON (AP) – American history is happening in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Democrats are driving President Donald Trump to the brink of impeachment Wednesday as the House takes up charges Trump abused his power and obstructed Congress in pressuring Ukraine to investigate political rivals and refusing to cooperate with the ensuing congressional probe.

The nation’s 45th president is on track to become only the third commander in chief to be impeached.

But first, watch for a daylong showdown that’s been boiling for years between Republicans loyal to Trump and Democrats who say his conduct toward Ukraine makes him unfit for office. Look, too, for legacy moments for Washington’s political veterans on the eve of the 2020 election year.