This is a good time to teach the Constitution. Since we are in the midst of a historic impeachment proceeding, I have highlighted the sentences referring to impeachment. I am citing this source.
Just yesterday, Trump threatened to sue Adam Schiff, chairman of the intelligence committee, and Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House, because he doesn’t think they have the right to impeach him or even to criticize him. He thinks they should be impeached.
The CNN article says:
The speech and debate clause in the US Constitution, which appears in Article 1, section 6, protects members of Congress from being sued over their statements made on the floor, which also would apply to committees.
Let’s review what the Constitution says about the powers of Congress.
The Preamble to the Constitution delineates its purposes.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
The Constitution establishes three co-equal branches of government to ensure that there would be checks and balances, and no branch would become authoritarian or monarchical, or superior to the other branches.
Article 1 describes the role and powers of the Congress.
Article 2 describes the role and powers of the President.
Article 3 describes the role and powers of the judiciary.
Here is Article 1:
Section 1.
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.
No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.
Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.
When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.
Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.
No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.
The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.
The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.
The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.
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: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.
The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.
The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.
Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.
Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.
Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal.
Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.
All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other Bills.
Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a law, be presented to the President of the United States: If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law
Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill.
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repeal Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of Particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards and other needful Buildings;–And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.
The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases or Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.
No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.
No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census of Enumeration herein before directed to be taken.
No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.
No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear or pay Duties in another.
No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or foreign State.
No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.
No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it’s inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.
No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.
To be clear, the House has the sole power to impeach the president. The trial occurs in the Senate, not the House.
The Orange Buffoon is spouting nonsense again. I worry about what Trump will do as he gets increasingly frustrated about the impeachment inquiries. He is NOT a stable genius. Imagine Trump learning that he finally got caught for doing ‘horrible, horrible crimes and things”. Impeachment is such a ‘very ugly word’. [He has such an insightful intelligent way of expressing himself. ]
……………………………….
Trump said, “We’re going to take a look at it. We’re going after these people. These are bad, bad people.” The President was speaking at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC. Trump said he spoke to his lawyers about Schiff and told them, “Sue him anyway, even if we lose, the American public will understand.” Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence committee, is spearheading the impeachment inquiry.”And sue Nancy Pelosi,” Trump continued. “Or maybe we should just impeach them, because they’re lying and what they’re doing is a terrible thing for our country.”
“I never thought I’d see or hear that word with regard to me. Impeachment. I said the other day it’s an ugly word. To me, it’s an ugly word. Very ugly word. It means so much. It means horrible, horrible crimes and things, I can’t even believe it. It’s a witch hunt.”
There is no method in the Constitution to impeach members of Congress. There is a prescribed method of impeaching the President. Anything that members of Congress say on the floor of the House or Senate or opinion committee meetings is protected.
While it is true that the congress cannot impeach a member of congress, there is a mechanism to deal with a congressperson who is found to be unfit for office (for any reason). see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_representatives_expelled,_censured,_or_reprimanded
See Article 1 Sec 5.
If 2/3 of the house of representatives determines that a member should be expelled, the congressperson will be expelled.
A college-level textbook on American government could easily be subtitled “What Donald Trump Doesn’t Know.” He uses the syntax and vocabulary of a third grader. He thinks like a mob thug. He’s amoral. He’s clueless. He’s a crook. He’s a pathological narcissist. And he’s dangerous. Right now, our allies among the Kurds are dying while he plays golf. He cares only about Donald Trump. Should he survive in office long enough, it will be darkly amusing to watch his performance, given his breathtaking level of deterioration, in the presidential debates. Those debates will be unprecedented fiascos. What an embarrassment. If he stays in office, I just hope that when he goes down in 2020, as he INEVITABLY will, he will take a LOT of his enablers with him.
Soon enough, Don the Con will be the ugly “before” picture.
Trump has not condemned this video which was shown at one of his resorts. Trump incites hatred and violence and this type of thing is the result. [Obviously it is fake since Trump can’t move this fast. He has to have a golf cart to play golf.] I agree that he is dangerous.
Trump Kills Fake News (Church of Fake News)
Sep 15, 2018
Diane,
THANK YOU!
I’ve sent this post to others.
Then what is all the quibbling about the Senate?
House members, do your duty, ASAP!
Yes, House. Draw up the articles and vote on them.
Not yet, Harlan. It’s going to take a little while longer for the Repugnicans in the Senate to figure out that Trump is going to lose “Bigly” in 2020 and take a lot of them with him. They are slow learners. Too many years of fattening at the trough has dulled their wits.
“The House takes its responsibility to beseach very seriously” — Nancy Pelosi
It seems to me that the two highlighted sections contradict each other. While the House of Reps has the sole power of impeachment, Senate has the sole power to try the impeachment and has to find the president guilty by a big majority.
How can the House of Reps have the sole power of impeachment if the Senate will have to determine if the president is impeachable? Hence what does “sole power” mean? Can the House of Reps impeach even if the Senate doesn’t have the 2/3 majority to impeach? Does the House of Reps have to wait for the Senate to conduct the impeachment trial? Can they just simply ignore the Senate altogether?
Also, the document quoted doesn’t specify how the House of Reps will impeach the president. What are they supposed to do? They arm-wrestle each other?
I believe impeachment only refers to bringing charges. Like a prosecutor would bring charges in a legal case, only in the case of impeachment , the charges are left up to the house, which can concoct charges as they please as we saw with the Impeachment of Clinton.
Charges brought by the House. Trial in the Senate.
So impeachment just means bring charges. So when they say, “he got impeached”, it just means, charges were brought against him? I now got it, thanks, guys.
Yes.
Impeachment is akin to a grand jury.
It brings charges.
The Senate holds a trial.
Yes, impeachment is the bringing of charges. These then lead to a trial in the Senate.
Pat Robetson said, “The president of the United States is in danger of losing the mandate of heaven if he permits this to happen.”…over abandoning our allies the Kurds.
It’s impossible to find anyone FURTHER from a ‘mandate from heaven’ than Trump. Trump is vicious in his words against any criticism. He hates brown people and has no problem with putting children in cages. He abhors anyone who thinks he isn’t the greatest thing to have happen to the United States since the inception of this nation.
Trump is increasingly showing that he is mentally disturbed. This nation needs to impeach Trump and let the rest of history understand that he is NOT the chosen one who is above the law.
“mandate of heaven”
How these people think is beyond me—and dangerous. They disregard the laws down here on Earth if it contradicts the laws they made up for Heaven.