Chrissy Houlahan's Op-Ed Kickstarted The Impeachment Inquiry

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — No one could've predicted that seven freshman U.S. representatives would wield so much power and influence, so soon.

Chester County's Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA 6), along with six of her other first term colleagues, penned an editorial in the Washington Post back in September.

The editorial, of coursed, argued that President Trump's interactions with Ukraine compromised national security and were worthy of impeachment. Democratic leadership listened, and within 24 hours of publication of the editorial, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had announced the House's formal impeachment inquiry.

Houlahan, like the other representatives whose names are on the op-ed, characterized the decision to attempt to remove the President from office as a difficult one.

"With the writing of that op-ed, we reluctantly advocated for moving forward with an impeachment investigation to further understand whether or not the allegations against the President were untrue," Houlahan said in a statement Monday night. "Sadly, it is my conclusion, after that investigation and careful consideration of all the testimony, documents, and reports that these allegations are true."

Less than three months later, President Trump is the third commander in chief in American history to be impeached.

Here's how the rest of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation voted on impeachment.

The House voted to impeach largely along party lines after hours of fervent debate. Many Republicans decried the evidence which Democrats brought forth, and likened the impeachment hearing to a witch hunt.

Trump now faces trial in the Senate, which is Republican-controlled, and the prospect him being removed from office thus remains unlikely.