I would like to begin this impeachment article by clarifying that I will be presenting a non-biased update on the impeachment of President Donald Trump. In the January edition of The Mountaineer, Maimoonah Shafqat (’20) and I will be presenting our own deviating views on impeachment as the process will be wrapping up, so stay tuned for another update next month.
Right now, in the United States, history is unfolding before our very eyes. President Donald Trump has become the fourth President of the United States to face an extensive impeachment inquiry. This process has been in the making ever since September 24, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi requested that six committees of the House of Representatives formally begin an impeachment inquiry.
After weeks of depositions from numerous witnesses, the House of Representatives voted on the House floor to officially begin the impeachment process. This vote occurred on October 31, and the result of the inquiry was 232-196. It passed mostly on party lines, except for two Democrats who broke ranks and voted with the Republicans against the inquiry.
The next step for this process was to hold public hearings. These hearings originated in the House Intelligence Committee with Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) presiding and later in the Judiciary Committee with Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) presiding. The public hearings in the Intelligence Committee occurred between November 13 and November 23, with 12 witnesses testifying. After the hearings, both the Democratic counsel and the Republican counsel of the Intelligence Committee sent reports to the Judiciary Committee.
The House Judiciary Committee then agreed to hold another round of hearings. The first hearing took place on December 4, and three highly-respected law professors attended in order to give advice on whether or not there was enough evidence to draft articles of impeachment against President Trump. The next day, on December 5, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi advised the House Judiciary Committee to draft the articles.
The House Judiciary Committee then continued the hearings on December 9, with both the Democratic counsel and the Republican counsel of the House Intelligence Committee testifying. During the hearing, Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee pleaded to Chairman Nadler to hold another hearing known as a Minority hearing day. Ranking member Doug Collins (R-GA) is referring to the House rule that states, “Clause 2(j)(1) of Rule XI is clear and unequivocal: once the demand is made, Minority Members “shall be entitled to . . . call witnesses selected by the minority to testify with respect to that measure or matter during at least one day of hearing thereon” (House Judiciary Committee).
On December 10, however, Democratic leadership refused to agree with this rule, and two articles of impeachment were introduced by the House of Representatives. The first article is based on abuse of power and the second on obstruction of Congress. After further debate in the Judiciary Committee, the members voted on party lines to pass the articles of impeachment on December 13.
The next step of the process was a House of Representatives impeachment debate and a following vote. Just two nights ago, the House, on almost entirely party lines, voted to impeach President Trump on both aforementioned articles, making him the third president in US history to be impeached.
As it has come to the point where a trial is needed, the Senate will likely hold one in early January. This could last up to several weeks, and, in the end, all 100 members of the Senate will vote to decide whether or not President Trump should be removed from office.
The next step of the process included a full house debate on December 18. At 8:24 P.M. Donald Trump was officially impeached after the House officially passed Article 1 by a vote of 230-197 with 229 Democrats voting yea, 1 Independent voting yea, 2 Democrats voting nay, 1 Democrat voting present and every Republican voting no. The House then passed Article 2 with a final vote of 229-198 with 228 Democrats voting yea, 1 Independent voting yea, 3 Democrats voting nay, 1 Democrat voting present and every Republican voting no. This has concluded the House of Representatives’ role in impeachment. This is because the next phase of impeachment will now take place in the form of a trial in the Senate.
In January 2020 the United States Senate will hold a trial. The details surrounding the format of the trial have not been decided yet but it could last up to several weeks. At the end of the trial, all 100 members of the Senate will vote to decide whether or not President Trump should be removed from office.
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