Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has suggested it’s time to “lower the temperature” and “elevate the political discourse” in Washington. But that was when he was addressing reporters in the afternoon. Fast forward and Articles of Impeachment against President Trump have now been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Congressman Al Green filed the articles despite objections by Democratic leaders – and as a number of Democrats have called for beginning impeachment proceedings. So if the leadership is against it…what’s the point? It’s believed it’ll give more teeth to the Dems as they battle the Trump administration in courts over the White House refusals to comply with subpoenas.
As for what happens next, under the Constitution the House will start impeachment proceedings. If a majority votes that the president has committed "treason, bribery, or other high crimes,” hearings will begin. Then, a majority would have to vote to impeach the president. If that happens, the Senate would hold a trial – and it would take two-thirds vote of the Republican-controlled Senate to remove the President from office.
- To review, only two presidents have been impeached in U.S. history. Andrew Johnson was the first in 1868, followed by Bill Clinton in 1998 and '99. Neither was removed from office as the Senate vote fell short. In the case of Richard Nixon, proceedings were underway when he resigned before a vote to impeach.
- The impeachment move came as the House officially voted to condemn President Trump's recent comments about four minority congresswomen. The resolution called Trump remarks racist. As we told you before, Trump took to Twitter over the weekend to suggest that the women “can go back to the countries they came” from while three of the four women were born in the United States and all women are US citizens.
- As for that condemnation vote, four Republicans voted with Democrats to condemn Mr. Trump’s tweets. They are Indiana Congresswoman Susan Brooks (who is retiring after this session), Pennsylvania’s Brian Fitzpatrick,Will Hurd of Texas and Michigan’s Fred Upton.
Source:ABC News