By Madeline Boglioli
If you have noticed any news at all over the last few weeks, you may have noticed that there's one giant story out there: the impeachment. But what is impeachment?
In our country’s history, there have been three presidential impeachments: Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and now Donald Trump. Impeaching a president takes involvement from all parts of the legislative branch and much back and forth. Contrary to popular belief, impeachment is not removing the president from office. Rather, it is simply putting them on trial for any number of accusations. In other words, impeachment is a process where the president is accused of wrongdoing.
In order to impeach a president, the House of Representatives (“House”) must first make an Impeachment Resolution. The resolution must then be turned over to the House Judiciary Committee. If the House Judiciary Committee recommends impeachment, then the House of Representatives must vote in order to make a formal impeachment inquiry. If the inquiry is approved, the House Judiciary Committee must then conduct an investigation to determine if there is sufficient evidence to issue articles of impeachment. If articles of impeachment are issued to the House, they must vote to approve the articles of impeachment have the Senate try the president. If one or more articles of impeachment are passed, then the president if officially “impeached” or charged with wrongdoing in government, and put on trial by the Senate.
Once the president is impeached it falls to the Senate to conduct a trial. Before this trial takes place, the House votes on a small number of representatives to manage the trial. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court must attend, and the senators must pass any questions they have to the Chief Justice in order for it to be asked. A series of evidence, witnesses and questions are asked, and ehn all information has been presented, the Senate deliberates. After much deliberation the Senate votes on whether or not the President should be removed from office.
To date, the Senate has never voted a president out of office.