U.S. House rejects bid to launch Trump impeachment proceedings
CGTN
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The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a congressman's bid to launch impeachment proceedings against U.S. President Donald Trump, tamping down a groundswell of anger after Trump made racist comments about some women Democrats. 

The chamber voted 332 to 95 to table, or effectively kill, a resolution brought by Democrat Al Green that raised whether to begin procedures to remove Trump from office. The majority of the House's 235 Democrats joined all Republicans in voting to indefinitely delay the impeachment bid, although a substantial number of Democrats went on record in favor of considering articles of impeachment. 

Trump took to Twitter following the vote to declare efforts to impeach him were "over." 

"This is perhaps the most ridiculous and time consuming project I have ever had to work on," Trump wrote, adding: "This should never be allowed to happen to another President of the United States again!" 

Screenshot of U.S. President Donald Trump's personal Twitter handle.

Screenshot of U.S. President Donald Trump's personal Twitter handle.

Green had failed twice before to get an impeachment resolution passed, but Wednesday marked the first time the full House had addressed the matter since Democrats took the majority earlier this year.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has long tried to restrain Democrats from initiating the impeachment process against Trump, pending a House Judiciary Committee probe into whether he colluded with Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election and obstructed Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of the matter.

However, Wednesday's vote put lawmakers on the record on the impeachment question.

A clear majority of the House's 235 Democrats - 137 - voted along with Republicans to table Green's impeachment resolution.

But 95 Democrats opposed setting the measure aside.

One Democrat voted present.

(With input from AFP, Reuters)