The calls for impeaching the president have been circling the news cycle for a while, but recently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House of Representatives will formally vote on a resolution to begin an impeachment process.
The reason for impeachment is rooted in a conversation that took place between President Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine. The call took place on July 25, and the transcript of the call has been declassified and can be found on the official White House website.
The details for the process of impeachment can be found in the Constitution. While it is important for citizens to be familiar with all parts of the Constitution, it is especially important to be aware of those particular sections as the impeachment process moves forth.
Article II, Section 4
This article lays out the powers of the executive branch; the office of the presidency. This particular section says that the president, vice president, and all civil officers of the United States can be removed from office via impeachment for “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” This article defines that for impeachment to occur, one of these government officials would have to be suspected for breaking the law. Contrary to what a lot of people may believe, impeachment can’t happen just because Congress doesn’t like the President.
Article I, Section 2, Clause 5
Article I is the article that lays out the powers of the legislative branch; Section 2 focuses on the House of Representatives. Clause 5 of this section states that The House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.” This means that, if an impeachment process were to begin, it would start with a vote in the House of Representatives to determine if they want to begin the process for removal of office. This vote is by simple majority rule.
Article I, Section 3, Clause 6
Article I continues to lay out the powers of the legislative branch in Section 3, which is the section that focuses on the Senate. In Clause 6, the Constitution states that if the House of Representatives votes to impeach the president, the Senate will then have the power to remove the president from office.
The senators will be on “Oath or Affirmation,” meaning everyone will be sworn to tell the truth. The U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice will preside. After hearing the case at hand, the Senate will vote on if they agree that the president has committed treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. Two-thirds of Senators who are present must vote in favor of the president being removed from office in order to officially remove the president from office.
As this process begins, it is critical that Americans are aware of what is going on. It’s important to know the process and the facts at hand. Get familiar with those articles and that process. Read the transcript of the phone call with the president of Ukraine. Most importantly: don’t just take in surface-level information and assume what people are saying is correct. Read the primary source information and decide what you truly think.
Mikayla Rochelle is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Tell Mikayla by tweeting her at @mikayla_roch.
