Nancy Pelosi calls on Dems to move forward with articles of impeachment: Trump 'leaves us no choice but to act'

In the latest development in the House of Representatives' impeachment saga, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has now called on her Democratic colleagues to move ahead with articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

In a Thursday morning address from the U.S. Capitol, Pelosi said, "The facts are uncontested: The president abused his power for his own personal political benefit, at the expense of our national security, by withholding military aid and a crucial Oval Office meeting in exchange for an announcement of an investigation into his political rival."

She added that Trump's "actions have seriously violated the Constitution" and that he "leaves us no choice but to act."

"Sadly, but with confidence and humility, with allegiance to our founders and a heart full of love for America," Pelosi concluded, "today I am asking our chairman to proceed with articles of impeachment."

The announcement comes one day after the House Judiciary Committee held its first public hearing of the impeachment process, where the panel heard from a group of law professors about the constitutional grounds for impeaching a president, and just two days after Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee voted to approve the findings of the committee's investigation into the president's behavior.

This development also raises the question of when the House will actually vote on impeachment, which still remains unclear. Earlier this week, a member of Pelosi's team reportedly suggested that a vote ahead of Christmas "doesn't fit the holiday spirit."