Sen. Kyrsten Sinema voted to approve both articles of impeachment against President Trump
Kyrsten Sinema
PHOENIX - During the final Senate impeachment vote on Wednesday, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D) voted to approve both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.
The senior senator of Arizona released a statement on her decision shortly before the final vote began. Ultimately, Senators did not vote to remove Trump. It would take 67 votes in the Republican-dominated Senate -- two-thirds of senators -- to do so.
"The facts are clear; security aid was withheld from Ukraine in an attempt to benefit the president’s political campaign. While White House attorneys claim this behavior is not serious, it is dangerous to the fundamental principles of American democracy to use the power of the federal government for personal or political gain. Worse, they failed to assure the American people that this behavior will not continue and that future national security decisions will be made free from personal interests," read a portion of the statement.
Sen. Sinema's announcement came after Alabama Sen. Doug Jones, the most endangered Democrat in this November's elections, said he will vote to convict Trump.
In remarks on the Senate floor, Sen. Jones said the sum of the evidence produced "a picture of a president who has abused the great power of his office for personal gain, a picture of a president who has placed his personal interest well above the interest of the nation."
The Associated Press has noted that Sen. Sinema, along with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, were among the Democrats being closely watched for their votes.
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney (R) also said on Wednesday that he will vote to convict Trump, becoming the first Republican to break ranks.
The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.