A Basic Guide To The Impeachment Process
***disclaimer- I am writing this as a person living in our society and so encumbered by personal opinions and preferences. However, I am writing this guide in an attempt to simply help explain the impeachment process, as it has recently become the focus of many people's attention in the past few weeks. It is important to note that this is the only intention of this guide. It contains pure facts meant to explain and simplify the process for those, who like myself, stood on the less informed side of things in regards to events of recent months.***
The call for President Donald J. Trump's impeachment came with little shock, as his accusers had been hinting at their ultimate goals of impeachment from the onslaught of original accusations made near the end of September, 2019. Confusion however, rattled many of the countries citizens both supporters and non-supporters of the impeachment, spawning waves of social media battles and a general air of uncertainty involving the impeachment process. To simplify things and hopefully calm some no doubt restless minds and button-tapping fingers from completely annihilating their social media presence, this article includes an unbiased and factual layout of how the process works. And how the specifics of the process are being affected in the case of the current president. I have referenced the places I collected my information from and encourage anyone who finds themselves with questions or concerns to use such sources in researching these matters.
The impeachment process was written directly into the constitution. As stated there and simplified here, there are many moving parts to the process. To begin, it is important to understand that the House of Representatives alone possess the power of impeachment, while the Senate maintains the power to try impeachments. No impeachment can occur without both groups fulfilling the entirety of their role. When an official has acted improperly or has functioned in ways that the people deem unsatisfactory, a request of investigation is launched with The House of Representatives. The request passes through a few committees, before reaching the full House for a majority vote. When the majority disapproves the request for impeachment, the issue is dropped. But when the majority approves, as represented in the case of President Trump, the equivalent of a grand jury indictment is forwarded onto the Senate for trial of the official. Remember that the approval of the impeachment request comes from a basic majority vote in the House. This means that the decision made, typically reflects the ideals of the party controlling the house. As the House stands today, there are 435 members, complete with five delegates and one resident commissioner. Of the House seats, 233 are Democratic, 197 are Republican, 1 is independent, and there are four seat vacancies. In the case of President Trump, an approved decision was rendered by the House and has been passed to the Senate for trial. The Senate is also split by party, which like the House, tends to yield the ideals of the controlling party. The current Senate has 100 members, there are 45 Democrats, 53 Republicans, and 2 Independents. The Senators serve as a jury in a full-scale trial concerning the official and the House approved request. Currently, a date has not been set for President Trump’s impeachment trial. But it is speculated that the trial will occur in the early part of 2020. The trial conducted within the Senate is typical, and if you've ever seen Judge Judy you are basically up to date on how that works. Evidence is presented from both the defense and the prosecution and in the end, a vote is taken amongst the jurors (the Senators). For impeachment to occur, two thirds of the senators present must find the evidence proof enough of the officials guilt. If less than two thirds draw the same conclusion, the official is acquitted and returns to the responsibilities and requirements of office. It is also important to note that in the case of a guilty verdict, the jury (or the Senators) must also determine the penalty of said verdict. There are two possible outcomes. Either the official is removed from his/her current office or they are removed and deemed unfit to serve in any future office as well. The Senate cannot determine civil or criminal penalties and the decision rendered by the Senate is final. In the case of a tie, the Vice President is called upon to vote.
This process has been described as the peaceful self-repair of democracy. A system that ultimately keeps in touch with the checks and balances we are so familiar with. For it to be effective, each member must individually do his or her part. This includes not only the members of the House or Senate who are directly related to the impeachment process, but also each citizen and their right to vote. It is in the end, the vote of the people that places those who become most pivotal in making monumental decisions at the top. And so, as you lay down tonight and scroll through social media, I hope you feel a bit more informed about some of the biggest news going on today. I hope your thumb simply swipes past those who seem to be confused on the issue or maybe taps and sends them in the direction of this article. Either way, I hope you understand the impeachment process more and most importantly, see how you personally play a part in it.
The call for President Donald J. Trump's impeachment came with little shock, as his accusers had been hinting at their ultimate goals of impeachment from the onslaught of original accusations made near the end of September, 2019. Confusion however, rattled many of the countries citizens both supporters and non-supporters of the impeachment, spawning waves of social media battles and a general air of uncertainty involving the impeachment process. To simplify things and hopefully calm some no doubt restless minds and button-tapping fingers from completely annihilating their social media presence, this article includes an unbiased and factual layout of how the process works. And how the specifics of the process are being affected in the case of the current president. I have referenced the places I collected my information from and encourage anyone who finds themselves with questions or concerns to use such sources in researching these matters.
The impeachment process was written directly into the constitution. As stated there and simplified here, there are many moving parts to the process. To begin, it is important to understand that the House of Representatives alone possess the power of impeachment, while the Senate maintains the power to try impeachments. No impeachment can occur without both groups fulfilling the entirety of their role. When an official has acted improperly or has functioned in ways that the people deem unsatisfactory, a request of investigation is launched with The House of Representatives. The request passes through a few committees, before reaching the full House for a majority vote. When the majority disapproves the request for impeachment, the issue is dropped. But when the majority approves, as represented in the case of President Trump, the equivalent of a grand jury indictment is forwarded onto the Senate for trial of the official. Remember that the approval of the impeachment request comes from a basic majority vote in the House. This means that the decision made, typically reflects the ideals of the party controlling the house. As the House stands today, there are 435 members, complete with five delegates and one resident commissioner. Of the House seats, 233 are Democratic, 197 are Republican, 1 is independent, and there are four seat vacancies. In the case of President Trump, an approved decision was rendered by the House and has been passed to the Senate for trial. The Senate is also split by party, which like the House, tends to yield the ideals of the controlling party. The current Senate has 100 members, there are 45 Democrats, 53 Republicans, and 2 Independents. The Senators serve as a jury in a full-scale trial concerning the official and the House approved request. Currently, a date has not been set for President Trump’s impeachment trial. But it is speculated that the trial will occur in the early part of 2020. The trial conducted within the Senate is typical, and if you've ever seen Judge Judy you are basically up to date on how that works. Evidence is presented from both the defense and the prosecution and in the end, a vote is taken amongst the jurors (the Senators). For impeachment to occur, two thirds of the senators present must find the evidence proof enough of the officials guilt. If less than two thirds draw the same conclusion, the official is acquitted and returns to the responsibilities and requirements of office. It is also important to note that in the case of a guilty verdict, the jury (or the Senators) must also determine the penalty of said verdict. There are two possible outcomes. Either the official is removed from his/her current office or they are removed and deemed unfit to serve in any future office as well. The Senate cannot determine civil or criminal penalties and the decision rendered by the Senate is final. In the case of a tie, the Vice President is called upon to vote.
This process has been described as the peaceful self-repair of democracy. A system that ultimately keeps in touch with the checks and balances we are so familiar with. For it to be effective, each member must individually do his or her part. This includes not only the members of the House or Senate who are directly related to the impeachment process, but also each citizen and their right to vote. It is in the end, the vote of the people that places those who become most pivotal in making monumental decisions at the top. And so, as you lay down tonight and scroll through social media, I hope you feel a bit more informed about some of the biggest news going on today. I hope your thumb simply swipes past those who seem to be confused on the issue or maybe taps and sends them in the direction of this article. Either way, I hope you understand the impeachment process more and most importantly, see how you personally play a part in it.
References
The Impeachment Process. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://nccs.net/blogs/articles/the-impeachment-process.
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