The impeachment
process - Constitution on impeachment of a sitting president?
HOWEVER;
Step #1
The House Judiciary
Committee decides.
Step #2
The Articles of
Impeachment are received from the House.
The Senate
formulates rules and procedures for holding a trial.
Step #3
Senate Majority
leader Mitch McConnell will
(NEVER ALLOW A
VOTE)!
Step # 4
People rushing to
judgment without the facts, need to read our laws!
The impeachment
process plays out in Congress and requires critical votes in both the House of
Representatives and the Senate. It is often said that the
“House impeaches and
the Senate convicts,” or not.
In essence, the House first decides if there are
grounds to impeach the president, and if it does, the Senate holds a formal
impeachment trial.
"The Senate
shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments..."
Article
I § 2 of the United States Constitution gives the House of Representatives the sole
power to impeach (make formal charges against) and Article I § 3 gives the
Senate the sole power to try impeachments. Article II § 4 of the Constitution provides as follows:
In the House of
Representatives
The House Judiciary
Committee decides whether or not to proceed with impeachment. If they do...
The Chairman of the
Judiciary Committee will propose a Resolution calling for the Judiciary
Committee to begin a formal inquiry into the issue of impeachment.
Based on their
inquiry, the Judiciary Committee will send another Resolution to the full House
stating that impeachment is warranted and why (the Articles of Impeachment), or
that impeachment is not called for.
The Full House
(probably operating under special floor rules set by the House Rules Committee)
will debate and vote on each Article of Impeachment.
Should any one of
the Articles of Impeachment be approved by a simple majority vote, the
President will be "impeached." However, being impeached is sort of
like being indicted of a crime. There still has to be a trial, which is where
the US Senate comes in.
In the Senate
The Articles of
Impeachment are received from the House.
The Senate
formulates rules and procedures for holding a trial.
A trial will be
held. The President will be represented by his lawyers.
A select group of House
members will serve as "prosecutors." The Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court will preside with all 100 Senators acting as
the jury.
The Senate will meet
in private session to debate a verdict.
The Senate, in open
session, will vote on a verdict.
A 2/3 vote of the Senate will result in a
conviction.
The Senate will vote
to remove the President from office.
The Senate may also
vote (by a simple majority) to prohibit the President from holding any public
office in the future.