The Constitution is very specific about the impeachment process.
Impeachment by the House
The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment. U. S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2
Trial by the Senate
The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present. U. S. Constitution, Article I, Section 3
Removal From Office
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. U. S. Constitution, Article 2, Section 4
A conviction in the senate requires two-thirds of the vote. A conviction requires the President’s removal from office. If the U. S. House of Representatives were to impeach and the U. S. Senate were to convict, President Donald Trump would be removed from office and Vice President Mike Pence would immediately be sworn in as President.
Two U.S. Presidents have been impeached by the U. S. House of Representatives, Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. President Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 24, 1868 and the Senate tried the case in a trial that lasted from March to May 1868. In the end, the Senate voted to acquit President Andrew Johnson by a margin of 35 guilty to 19 not guilty - one vote short of the two-thirds needed to convict.
President Bill Clinton was impeached for two charges, perjury and obstruction of justice.
Neither of the two impeached presidents, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, were convicted by the Senate.
President Richard Nixon resigned as President in 1974. Vice President Gerald Ford immediately assumed the presidency and is quoted as saying, “An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history."
A FREE study of the Constitution continues each Saturday 10 AM – 11 AM in the community room at the Jefferson County Public Library, 375 South Water Street, Monticello, FL 32344 thru December 14.
Our library’s community room has excellent acoustics, a giant projector screen with strong audio, a kitchen sink, cabinets and countertop – a most wonderful facility!
Everyone is invited to enjoy a cup of Red, White and Blue coffee or Star-Spangled Banner hot chocolate!
The “Constitution Alive!” DVD video series study of the Constitution was produced by WALLBUILDERS. Wallbuilders.com
“Wallbuilders Live” is aired weekdays noon – 12:30 PM on Faith Radio 105.7 FM in Jefferson County.
Bill Snyder