Article snippet: WASHINGTON — The only thing they could agree on was that it was a solemn day. For Democrats, the historic House vote on Thursday to formalize the ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Trump was a step that they said pained them to take but was necessary to defend the Constitution. “The founders didn’t want a king, they didn’t want a dictator, they didn’t want a monarch, they wanted a democracy and that is exactly what we are defending right now,” said Representative Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat. “No one is above the law.” But for Republicans, the move was just another step in what they branded an unfair and partisan exercise — “a show trial,” “a sham,” “a travesty” — pushed forward by Democrats intent on overturning the 2016 presidential election. “No matter what is said by the other side today, this is a dark day and a cloud has fallen on this House,” declared Representative Doug Collins of Georgia. When they cast their votes — the third time in modern history the House had done so on a presidential impeachment investigation — the 232-196 tally split almost exactly down party lines in what was seen as a test for an eventual vote on articles of impeachment. All but two Democrats voted for the resolution. No Republican supported it. So after months of political maneuvering, weeks of closed-door hearings, and one morning of intense 90-minute House debate, the Trump impeachment inquiry entered a new public phase. The fight over the message to voters he... Link to the full article to read more