U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-2) stood with Republicans in the minority as Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted this evening in favor of impeaching President Donald J. Trump.

They approved Article 1 of the resolution, abuse of power.

They then voted aye on Article 2, obstruction of justice.

The impeachment articles will go to the U.S. Senate, tasked with considering in a trial whether or not to remove Trump from office.

Republicans in the majority of the senate are expected to uphold the president remaining in power.

In the House tonight, U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, a Democrat from Minnesota who occupies a district Trump won by 30 points, and Jared Golden, Democrat from Maine, voted with Van Drew against impeachment.

They were the only three Democrats who broke ranks from their fellow party members to vote in the negative.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii and presidential candidate – voted present.

The unofficial vote on article 1 – which relates to Trump withholding congressional aid to a foreign leader in order to extract personally and politically advantageous intel – was 230 in favor to 197 opposed.

Article 2 (obstruction of justice) received 229 in favor and 198 opposed.

The other members of the New Jersey delegation voted as expected.

DEMOCRATS

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer: Aye

U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill: Aye

U.S. Rep. Andy Kim: Aye

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, Jr.: Aye

U.S. Rep. Albio Sires: Aye

U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski: Aye

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell: Aye

U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman: Aye.

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross: Aye

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone: Aye

Van Drew: Nay

REPUBLICAN

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith: Nay

Payne, Jr. said the evidence presented in the articles and the Mueller report show that Trump has abused his office since the day he was elected.

“Today, I voted to protect and defend our Constitution,” said Payne, Jr.  “It is clear to me that President

Trump tried to use American military aid to convince the Ukrainian president to investigate a political rival.  He made this request after he solicited Russian help to interfere and undermine the 2016 election.  His actions are a threat to our democracy and our national security.  He has put his own interests above the interests of the American people.  Congress needs to impeach him to protect the public good.  I am proud of my House colleagues for their courageous vote today.  No one is above the law.”

Now that the House has voted to approve both articles, he noted, the Senate will vote next year to determine if the reasons for impeachment warrant the president’s removal from office.  The historic vote to impeach President Trump is only the third one in U.S. history.  Previous votes to impeach President Andrew Johnson in 1868 and President Bill Clinton in 1998 passed the House, but failed to pass the Senate.

Party leaders in New Jersey – both Republican and Democrat – reacted to the news.

“Democrats in New Jersey can be proud that our representatives have chosen to defend our Constitution and our values by holding President Trump accountable for his blatant corruption, crimes and betrayal of our country by seeking the assistance of a foreign government to attack a political rival,” said NJ Democratic Chairman John Currie. “I am especially proud of our House freshmen, each of whom represents a competitive district, for putting country over personal interests and doing the right thing for our nation’s future. Their courage stands in stark contrast to Republicans Jeff Van Drew and Chris Smith, who have sold out our democratic principles by refusing to stand up to President Trump. Voters in New Jersey will remember who stood with the Constitution and who stood with Trump next November, and I believe this vote will come back to haunt both Van Drew and Smith.”

State Senator Joe Pennacchio, co-chair of the Trump reelection campaign in NJ, said, “Some members of the House including Speaker Pelosi wore black to mark the, ‘solemnity’, of today’s impeachment vote. They would be wise to hold onto to their wardrobes. They will need them for their collective political funerals next November. To no one’s surprise, the strictly Party Line vote reinforced a central dogma of the Democrat Party. They believe that Americans  whom they refer to as deplorable are not capable in engaging in Democracy. Democrats believe that the deplorable votes were en mass a mistake. Heaven forbid Democrats allow those misguided Americans to participate in next years election. Like small children, we Americans, have to be saved from themselves. Pelosi is not a stupid person. She does however lack a moral compass and a political spine to to stand up to the off the wall radicals within her own Party. She is the Speaker, but have no doubt who is in charge, and it ain’t her! Democrats will be reminded next November how very wrong and condescending they were to the American people, to our tradition of fairness and due process, and to our Democratic Constitutional principles. Shame on them.

NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt, for his part, released the following statement on impeachment:

“Jeff has played this little game for years, and it finally caught up with him,” said one Democrat over the weekend, speaking on condition of anonymity, as he considered then-Senator Van Drew’s track record of providing crunch time Senate Budget Committee votes to Gov. Chris Christie, who through Van Drew added another layer of political adhesive to the South Jersey Democratic Machine.

Christie’s relationship with Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3) gave Van Drew cover in 2013 when the South Jersey ran for reelection in a district favorable to Christie. Van Drew had backed him at key junctures, but the presence of Christie at the top of the opposing ticket facing Barbara Buono and Van Drew required a deft touch.