Impeachment

Impeachment heads to the Senate

By Isabella Londono Staff Reporter IG: isabella.xoxoxo There is a lot of talk in Washington about impeachment, but what does that really mean? Impeachment is the ultimate check of the chief executive of the United States and to formally accuse a public official of a serious crime in connection with their job. It doesn’t actually mean getting rid of a president; it’s just the first step.

When Congress feels that a president has overstepped his authority, or committed a serious offense, it has the right to remove the president. This starts with an investigation in the House of Representatives.

After the investigation, the House votes to decide if they want to impeach the president. This is like bringing charges against the president. If the impeachment goes through, the House

delivers the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate who then tries the president on those charges. In the trial, the House acts as the prosecution and the president is defended by his own lawyers with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court acting as judge.

All the members of the Senate are the jury. Twothirds of the senators must vote to remove the president, which today would be 67 out of 100 senators.

In December, the House voted to impeach President Donald Trump. Impeaching the president is rare. There have only been two presidents that have been impeached in the whole 243 years of our history as a nation.

President Andrew Johnson was accused of high crimes and misdemeanors in February 1886. Then in February 1999, Bill Clinton was impeached for lying under

Left: Lead by House of Representatives Clerk Cheryl Johnson and House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving, followed by impeachment managers Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), lead the procession carrying the Articles of Impeachment from the House of Representatives to the Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 15. photo with permission Los Angeles Times/TNS; Below: The articles of the impeachment against President Donald Trump are seen before U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signs it during an Engrossment Ceremony on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Jan. 15, in Washington, D.C. photo with permission Abaca Press/TNS

oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. Due to the Watergate Scandal in 1972-1973, Richard Nixon was on the verge of being impeached when he decided to step down as president on August 9, 1974. While the constitution does allow for impeachment, it is vague on the exact charges that can be made. According the Article II, section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, “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.” These charges are left up to the interpretation of the House.

In the case against

President Trump, the house has charged him with two articles: 1) abuse of power for pressuring Ukrainian President Vologymyr Zelenskiy to investigate political rival Joe Biden in exchange for foreign aid, and 2) obstructing justice by blocking Congress from being able to hear certain testimony or read certain documents that were subpoenaed by the House. (The New York Times)

Now that the House has voted for him to be impeached, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sent the impeachment papers to the Senate for the trial and vote. Since Republicans have a majority in the Senate, it is likely that Trump will be found not guilty, just like Johnson and Clinton.