President Trump has been impeached

Rep. Doug Collins, a Republican from Georgia and the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, took issue with the impeachment process during his opening remarks.

Collins went on to add: "Before I close, I will have to recognize that even the Senate, the minority leader in the Senate recognizes that the house did not do their job because he can't make the case to his own members so he's having to ask for witnesses and ask for more time. I thought it hilarious that the minority leader in the Senate went out and did a press conference and said 'they denied my witnesses, they denied my requests.' Welcome to the club, Mr. Schumer."

More on Schumer: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday rejected calls from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to allow witnesses at an expected Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

"We don't create impeachments," McConnell said on the Senate floor. "We judge them."

Watch the moment:

The House has begun debating the articles of impeachment. The leaders of the judiciary committee — chairman Jerry Nadler and ranking member Doug Collins — are running the debate.

Nadler kicked things off by yielding some time to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Collins, the top Republican on the Judiciary, is speaking right now.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rebuked President Trump at the start of the debate on the articles of impeachment, calling him an "ongoing threat to our national security."

Pelosi added: "When the President's wrongdoing was revealed, he launched an unprecedented, indiscriminate and categorical campaign of defiance and obstruction."

Watch the moment:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor at the start of the debate.

She began by reading the salute the US flag.

"The republic for which it stands is what we are here to talk about today," she added.

Watch the moment:

One of President Trump's advisers said the President is "stunned" Democrats took their concerns about his dealings with Ukraine to the brink of impeachment.

Trump mentions a variation of this kind of reaction nearly every time the topic of impeachment comes up, the adviser said. He simply can't believe it's happening, the adviser continued.

Looking over the horizon to the 2020 campaign, this adviser argues impeachment actually helps Trump in his reelection bid.

"The enemy continues to be Washington," the adviser said.

"Partisan impeachment will be weaponized to our advantage," the adviser said, insisting Trump will paint himself as the victim to excite his base heading into the upcoming election battle.

The full House of Representatives is now debating the articles of impeachment against President Trump.

The debate is slated to last six hours.

Ahead of debate, the House clerk is now reading the text of the two articles of impeachment against President Trump. The two articles are abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

The House has voted and passed the rule for the debate on the articles of impeachment today.

The debate is expected to begin in just moments.

The six hours allotted for the debate will be divided equally by Democrats and Republicans.

The rule was approved with a vote of 228-197.

Two Democrats, Jeff Van Drew (who is expected to announce in the coming days that he is becoming a Republican) and Collin Peterson, split with the rest of their party to vote against the rule. All GOP members opposed it.

The timing of the debate could easily slide depending on Republican requests for procedural votes. Such votes would stop the debate clock.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler spoke with CNN while the House votes on the rules for today's debate on the articles of impeachment.

“We vindicate the Constitution," Nadler said when asked what today means to him.