Ally Kaiser, Senior
On Tuesday September 24, 2019, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry into President Trump’s effort to pressure Ukraine into investigating former Vice President Biden and his son, Hunter. It should be noted that President Trump is not being impeached at this time; this is only an investigation to see if articles of impeachment should be brought against him. However, many people are asking how the impeachment process works. The process may seem hard to follow, but a simple explanation can take all the confusion away.
To begin, impeachment is actually not the removal of a president from office. It is only the process of charging a president with “high crimes and misdemeanors” which is not actually defined in the Constitution. It is up to Congress to define what it means because legislators are meant to take public opinion and gravity into account. Contrary to popular belief, Nixon was never impeached; he resigned before charges could be brought against him. This was after it was realized that his own party was turning against him and would likely vote to bring articles of impeachment and eventually remove him from office.The only presidents that have been impeached are Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, and neither were removed from office.
The impeachment process starts with a House inquiry into the president’s action. This is the stage that the House is currently in. Once the inquiry is complete, the full House votes on articles of impeachment. If at least one article gets a majority vote, the president is impeached. The proceedings then move to the Senate, where a trial is held. This trial is overseen by the Chief Justice of the United States, who is currently John Roberts, and the Senate acts as the jury. Lawmakers from the House act as prosecutors, and the president’s lawyers act as the defense. If at least two-thirds of the Senate find the president guilty, he is removed without appeal. The vice president then takes over as president.
To reiterate, impeachment does not mean the actual removal of a sitting president from office. It is only the charges that Congress uses to decide whether to remove him or her. At this time, President Trump is not even facing charges of impeachment; the House is only investigating whether charges can be brought forward.
Information and Graphic Source: How The Impeachment Process Works Charlie Savage - New York Times (September 24, 2019)
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