Yes;
there will be some
repeating in this post
just to help the few
'deft members of congress'!
understand the
meaning of
(Impeachment Proceedings).
The United States
Constitution provides that the House of Representatives
"shall have the
sole Power of Impeachment"
( Article I, section 2 )
and that
"the Senate shall have the sole Power to
try all Impeachments…[but]
no person shall be
convicted without the Concurrence of two-thirds of the Members present"
( Article I, section
3 ).
the
House appoints Members
by resolution
to manage the ensuing Senate trial on its
behalf.
These
managers act as prosecutors in the Senate
and are usually members of the
Judiciary Committee.
The
number of managers has varied across impeachment trials but has traditionally
been an odd number.
The
partisan composition of managers has also varied depending on the nature of the
impeachment,
but
the managers, by definition, always support the House’s impeachment action.
Impeachment
The House Committee
of Impeachment Managers in the Senate Chamber, Washington, D.C.
“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 II, section 4
The House of
Representatives initiates articles of impeachment which must pass by a majority
vote.
If this occurs the
official is considered
"impeached"
and
must stand trial
in the Senate.
Therefore
impeachment does not mean that the official is removed from office.
A trial is then held
in the Senate.
If the US President
is on trial then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides.
When the vote is
held it must pass by a 2/3 majority in order to convict.
If the official is
convicted they are removed from office.
The
Constitution gives the House of Representatives the sole power to impeach an
official,
and
it
makes
the Senate the sole court for impeachment trials.
The
power of impeachment is limited to removal from office
but also provides for a removed officer to be
disqualified from holding future office.
Fines
and potential jail time for crimes committed while in office are left to civil
courts.
The
House's Role
The
House brings impeachment charges against federal officials as part of its
oversight and investigatory responsibilities.
Individual
Members of the House can introduce impeachment resolutions like ordinary bills,
or the
House could initiate proceedings by passing a resolution authorizing an
inquiry.
The
Committee on the Judiciary ordinarily
has jurisdiction over impeachments,
but
special committees investigated charges
The
committee then chooses whether to pursue articles of impeachment
against the
accused official and report them to the full House.
If the
articles are adopted
(by simple majority vote),
the
House appoints Members by resolution
to manage the ensuing Senate trial on its
behalf.
These
managers act as prosecutors in the Senate
and are usually members of the
Judiciary Committee.
The
number of managers has varied across impeachment trials but has traditionally
been an odd number.
The
partisan composition of managers has also varied depending on the nature of the
impeachment,
but
the managers, by definition, always support the House’s impeachment action.
