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| A mob of Trump supporters surround the gallows on which they intended to hang Vice President Mike Pence at the Capitol, January 6, 2021. Click to enlarge. |
Choose you this day whom ye will serve . . .
Click here for CNN live coverage of impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.
Many fine speeches were made on the floor of the House today; here are two that your Head Trucker thinks particularly well done, covering all the essential points of the case.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gives the opening argument:
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer gives the closing argument:
Update, 3:36 p.m., Texas time-- The House of Representatives has just voted to impeach Trump, 232-197. Ten Republicans voted with the Democrats to impeach. Four Republicans did not vote. House has now adjourned until January 15th. The Senate is in recess until January 19th, when the Article of Impeachment will be presented to them.
For the benefit of my overseas truckbuddies, it is important to understand that impeachment is not the same as removal from office. Rather, an impeachment by the House is equivalent to an indictment by a grand jury; the Senate then acts as a court to try the case, and either convict (by a two-thirds majority) or acquit the President, who would cease to be President immediately upon conviction. Trump was previously impeached by the House in December 2019, but acquitted by the Senate in February 2020.
The Constitution gives each house of Congress the authority to set its own rules of procedure; thus, the Senate does not have to follow the ordinary rules of procedure used in federal courts. Furthermore, it is up to Congress on its own authority to determine what constitutes the "high crimes and misdemeanors" (not defined in the Constitution) for which a president can be impeached.
Even if the Senate convicted Trump of the charge specified in the Article of Impeachment, the only effect would be to remove him from office - and that will be moot, as Biden will already be President by the time the Senate decides the case. For Trump to be barred from running for office again, or to lose his post-presidency benefits, the Senate would have to vote specifically on those points.
Full text of the Article of Impeachment below the jump - or see PDF in original format here.
