On December 19, 1998, the House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton. At issue were allegations of sexual misconduct by Clinton with a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, conduct that he originally denied while testifying about a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Paula Jones. The House Judiciary Committee had voted to bring to the floor of the House four impeachment articles, accusing the president of perjury, obstruction of justice, and abuse of power. The Republican leadership in Congress demanded that Clinton resign and won endorsement from the Republican majority in the House of two articles of impeachment, which were sent to the Senate for a trial that began on January 7, 1999. After arguments presented by representatives from both parties and from the White House and a question-and-answer period, the Senate acquitted Clinton on both articles of impeachment, voting 45-55 on perjury and 50-50 on obstruction of justice. In a brief White House Rose Garden speech, Clinton accepted the verdict and called on the nation to begin a period of “reconciliation and renewal.”