On Wednesday, December 18th 2019, the U. S. House of Representatives voted on two separate articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. On the first article, “Abuse of Power”, 230 Democrats voted “Yes” and 197 Republicans voted “No”.
On the second article, “Obstruction of Congress”, 229 Democrats voted “Yes” and 198 Republicans voted “No”. Two Democrats voted “Present” on both articles. The vote concluded the House impeachment inquiry following a vote on December 4th to approve procedures for the phase.
The House vote on impeachment sets up a trial in the U. S. Senate early in 2020. Senators, who act as jurors in the trial, will then consider the articles of impeachment and vote to decide whether President Trump will be convicted or acquitted.
Impeachment is a rare, grave step in our country’s constitutional history, and the vote follows several weeks of investigation into President Trump’s attempts to pressure Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election.
The House vote is the only instance in U. S. history that the House has impeached the president of the same party that controls the House and Senate.
To be impeached, the president must receive a two-thirds majority (or 67 votes) in the Senate. Currently, the Senate is composed of 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two Independents who caucus with the Democrats.
If the vote to impeach passes in the House, President Trump would become the third president in U. S. history to be impeached.
In the impeachment vote, the Democrats voted overwhelmingly in favor of impeachment, while the Republicans voted solidly against it. Trump has forcefully denied all wrongdoing and has accused Democrats of a partisan witch hunt.
Table of Contents
Has any U.S. president ever been convicted of impeachment?
The Constitution of the United States provides for the impeachment of federal officials, including the president, for “Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors”. In the history of the United States, only two presidents have been impeached by the House of Representatives: Andrew Johnson in 1868, and Bill Clinton in 1998.
Neither of those presidents were convicted at the conclusion of their Senate trial, the step necessary for a conviction of impeachment.
Andrew Johnson, the 17th president, was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1868 on charges of violating the Tenure of Office Act and an obstruction of justice in violation of the Constitution.
The Senate’s attempt at conviction and removal of Johnson failed by one vote.
The second president to go through the impeachment process was William Jefferson Clinton in 1998. He was impeached by the House of Representatives for perjury to a grand jury and obstruction of justice, but was acquitted of both charges in the Senate.
In conclusion, no U.S. president has ever been convicted of impeachment.
Has a president ever been impeached and acquitted?
Yes, a president has been impeached and acquitted. On February 5th, 2020, the U. S. Senate acquitted President Donald Trump of charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, following his impeachment by the House of Representatives in December 2019.
This was the third time in history that a president had been impeached by the House, and it marked the first time a president was acquitted of both articles of impeachment in the Senate.
The first time a president was impeached by the House was President Andrew Johnson in 1868. He was impeached on 11 articles of impeachment, with the House voting to impeach him on three counts of violating the Tenure of Office Act.
The Senate fell one vote short of the required two-thirds majority to convict him, so Johnson was acquitted in May 1868.
The second time a president was impeached was President Bill Clinton in 1998. He was impeached on two charges of perjury and obstruction of justice related to a scandal involving his extramarital affair with Monica Lewinsky.
In January 1999, the Senate voted to acquit him on both charges.
The importance of acquittals for both Johnson and Clinton was in the handling of possible future actions, as the acquittal and removal from office for a president are two very different things, and both would have profound implications for future presidential conduct.
In the case of President Donald Trump, his acquittal was seen as a vindication of his stance against the House’s allegations.
What president was impeached and found guilty?
The only president of the United States to be impeached and found guilty was President Andrew Johnson in 1868. The House of Representatives impeached Johnson on 11 counts including violation of the Tenure of Office Act and attempted usurpation of Congress.
The Senate trial ended in May 1868 with the Senate falling one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict him. Johnson was acquitted on all counts but still regarded by many as the country’s first impeached president.
Who Cannot be impeached?
The President of the United States cannot be impeached according to the Constitution. The Constitution states that the president’s power is, “not to be questioned” and that, “Judgment in cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States.
” This means that the president can be impeached, but only removed from office. This is the same standard that applies to the Vice President, justices of the Supreme Court, and other government officials.
However, some states have laws that permit the impeachment of the governor.
Has the 25th Amendment ever been used?
Yes, the 25th Amendment has been used several times. The 25th Amendment was ratified in 1967 and allows the Vice President to take over the role of the President if the President is unable to fulfill his duties due to medical issues, death, resignation, or other incapacitation.
The first time the 25th Amendment was used was in 1973 when President Nixon resigned and Vice President Gerald Ford took office. Ford was then the first President to be appointed under the 25th Amendment.
Ford was later confirmed by Congress as the new President, officially using the 25th Amendment.
The second time the 25th Amendment was used was during President Reagan’s administration in 1985. Reagan underwent surgery, and invoked Section 3 of the 25th Amendment, which allowed him to temporarily transfer his presidential powers to Vice President George H.
W. Bush while he recuperated.
The 25th Amendment has also been invoked several times since then, including during President George W. Bush’s administration in 2002, and President Barack Obama’s administration in 2013. In both cases, the President took some time away from office and transferred their presidential powers to the Vice President for a short period of time.
Overall, the 25th Amendment has been successfully invoked several times to transfer the presidential powers between the President and Vice President when necessary, ensuring a smooth transition of power.
How many times has the vice president resigned?
Since the establishment of the United States Constitution in 1787, only five Vice Presidents have resigned from office. Two of these resignations took place in the 19th century and the other three in the 20th and 21st centuries.
The first vice president to resign was John C. Calhoun, who resigned in 1832 for his staunchly pro-slavery stance. The second resignation came in 1875, when Henry Wilson resigned due to poor health. The third resignation occurred in 1881, when Chester A.
Arthur resigned in order to pursue a political nomination.
The fourth resignation came in1973 when Spiro Agnew resigned amid a bribery scandal. The most recent resignation was in 2017 when Mike Pence resigned due to differences with President Donald Trump.
Therefore, the total number of Vice Presidents who have resigned from office is five.
Who can remove the vice president in America?
The United States Constitution does not give a formal procedure for the removal of the Vice President from office. However, the Constitution does provide a mechanism for the president to fill any vacancy in the office of Vice President under Article II, Section 1, clause 6.
In the event that the President, Vice President, and all other officers of the executive branch have either been deemed unable to serve or have been impeached by the House of Representatives, Congress is authorized to reconvene and, by passing a majority vote in each house, declare the Vice President unable to serve.
More generally, the Vice President can also resign from office or be involuntarily removed by the Senate via the impeachment process. As in the case of the President, the Senate would have to hold a trial on charges of “high Crimes and Misdemeanors” to remove the Vice President from office.
The Constitution also provides a succession procedure in the event of the incapacity or death of a President and Vice President at the same time. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 outlines the line of succession for the executive branch following the Vice President, beginning with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and then the Cabinet members in order of the creation of their departments and ending with the appointed Secretary of Homeland Security.
