When you hear people talk about who voted on impeachment, they usually focus on the big names or the final "guilty" or "not guilty" counts. But if you actually look at the roll calls, those sessions are messy. They are full of career-ending risks and weird political shifts.
The House of Representatives has the "sole Power of Impeachment," which basically means they act like a grand jury. If a simple majority says "yea," the official is impeached. Then it goes to the Senate. That's the trial. To actually kick someone out of office, you need a two-thirds supermajority in the Senate.
It’s a high bar. A very high bar. Historically, it's so high that no U.S. President has ever been removed through this process, though a few came incredibly close—literally a single vote away.
The Trump Era: A House Divided (Twice)
Donald Trump is the only president to be impeached twice. The first time, in 2019, was mostly a party-line affair, but the second one in 2021 broke some serious records for "crossing the aisle."
The 2019 Vote
In December 2019, the House voted on two articles: Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress. Almost every Democrat voted "yea." But not all.
Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Collin Peterson of Minnesota were the notable "nays" from the Democratic side on the first article. Van Drew actually liked the GOP's stance so much he switched parties right after. Jared Golden of Maine was another outlier; he voted to impeach for abuse of power but voted "nay" on the obstruction charge. Tulsi Gabbard famously just voted "present," which is basically the political version of "I'm staying out of this."
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On the Republican side? Total unity. Zero Republicans voted to impeach in 2019.
The 2021 Incitement of Insurrection Vote
The second time was different. After the events of January 6th, ten Republicans decided they'd had enough. This was the most bipartisan impeachment vote in American history. The "GOP Ten" included:
- Liz Cheney (Wyoming)
- Adam Kinzinger (Illinois)
- John Katko (New York)
- Fred Upton (Michigan)
- Jaime Herrera Beutler (Washington)
- Dan Newhouse (Washington)
- Peter Meijer (Michigan)
- Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio)
- Tom Rice (South Carolina)
- David Valadao (California)
Most of these folks paid for it later. Some lost primaries, others just retired. It was a massive gamble.
The Senate Trials: Where Charges Go to Die
The Senate is where the drama gets real because they are the ones who can actually hit the "eject" button. For Trump’s second trial in 2021, seven Republicans joined all 50 Democrats in voting to convict: Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, and Pat Toomey.
They got to 57 votes. But they needed 67. Close, but in the world of the Constitution, a miss is as good as a mile.
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Looking Back: Bill Clinton and the 50-50 Split
Rewind to 1999. The vibe was totally different. Bill Clinton was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice. When the Senate finally voted, the results were split right down the middle on the obstruction charge: 50-50.
To convict, they needed 67. They weren't even close. Ten Republicans actually broke ranks to vote "not guilty" on the perjury charge, including Arlen Specter and Susan Collins. It was a circus, honestly. The public was exhausted, and the Senate reflected that by basically saying, "Yeah, he lied, but we aren't firing him for it."
The Most Dramatic Vote in History: Andrew Johnson
If you want a real nail-biter, you have to look at 1868. Andrew Johnson was a heartbeat away from being removed. The Senate voted 35 to 19.
He survived by one single vote.
That vote came from Edmund G. Ross, a Senator from Kansas. He was a Radical Republican who was expected to vote "guilty." When he said "not guilty," the room supposedly went silent. He basically committed political suicide to save the presidency from what he felt was a purely political hit job. People literally spit on him in the streets after that.
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Why Do These Votes Matter Today?
Understanding who voted on impeachment isn't just a history lesson. It's about seeing how the "conscience vote" works. In 1868, it was Ross. In 2021, it was the "GOP Ten."
These votes are permanent records of where a politician stands when the pressure is at its absolute peak. They define legacies. When a representative or senator casts that vote, they aren't just voting on a person; they are voting on the future of how the law is applied to the most powerful seat in the world.
What You Can Do Next
If you want to see exactly how your own representative or senator voted, you don't have to take a pundit's word for it.
- Check the Official Clerk Records: Go to the House Clerk’s website and search for "Roll Call" votes for the years 2019 and 2021. You can see every single name.
- Look for the "Present" Votes: These are often more interesting than the "yeas" or "nays" because they show who was trying to walk a middle line.
- Read the Floor Statements: Most members of Congress release a "Statement for the Record" explaining why they voted the way they did. These are often much more nuanced than the soundbites you see on the news.
Getting the facts straight on these votes helps you cut through the noise. It lets you see who stayed with their party and who took a leap—for better or worse.