The Impeachment Process: Explained With the recent launch of a formal impeachment
inquiry against President Donald Trump, it’s
important to understand what
impeachment actually is. Impeachment is the political process of removing
a civil officer from office for reasons of “treason,
bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” It can be brought against even
the highest officials, such as the
President and Vice President. The process begins in the U.S. House of Representatives, where a suggestion to impeach must be made and then authorized to proceed by the Speaker of the House. From there, the speaker chooses
to move the inquiry to either a
House Judiciary Committee
or a separate special committee. The members of the chosen committee then investigate and vote on whether to proceed with
articles of impeachment. Approved articles are then voted on
by the full House, with a majority vote
in favor meaning that the House has
officially impeached the president. The case is then presented to the Senate for a trial, during which two-thirds of the majority would have to find the official guilty. If found guilty, that official
is then removed from his
or her position in office. In the history of the United States, no president has ever been officially removed from office as a result
of impeachment. Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were both
acquitted during their Senate trials, and Richard Nixon resigned
while the process was still
being carried out in the House.