Why Promises of Impeachment Will Go Nowhere

By Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life, and Victoria Gisondi, Public Outreach Associate, Priests for Life

The Left still have a few tricks left up their sleeves after their attempts to discredit and calumniate Brett Kavanaugh didn't work. When their efforts to prevent a SCOTUS appointment or an election (Trump) fail, they promise impeachment. It is perhaps their most vociferous rally cry and a nearly impossible undertaking- even if the upcoming midterm elections turn out in favor of Democrats. 

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Highlights

By Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
10/17/2018 (5 years ago)

Published in U.S.

Keywords: Impeachment, U.S news, catholic news

Victoria Gisondi, Public Outreach Associate, Priests for Life - But the practical impossibility of the task is not stopping them from promising it. They are hoping to take advantage of any lingering anti-Trump sentiment in order to cash in on votes.

And the Democrats who are taking this route know better. Even if they win the House and draft articles of impeachment, it would not remove anybody from office. That's because an impeachment requires 67 votes in the Senate! To suggest Democrats can deliver that is laughable. It's just unrealistic.

They will not be able to remove anybody from office any time soon. In fact in all of our history as a nation, only 19 federal officials have been brought up on impeachment charges by the House of Representatives since 1789. Out of those, only eight were convicted after the Senate heard the trial. The Founding Fathers made it deliberately difficult to impeach officials. They simply didn't want impeachment to be used as a political tool--- which is exactly what the Democrats are attempting to do right now. 

The U.S. Constitution states that the president can be removed from office after being both impeached and convicted for ‽Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors." No doubt, the Democrats' creativity will dream up all kinds of high crimes, misdemeanors, bribery or treason charges. Yet will be a very difficult thing to prove or to pull of successfully.   

How does the process work?In order to start the impeachment process, the House must issue articles of impeachment. That usually entails a declaration in writing that one is unfit for his duties in office. Individual members can introduce impeachment bills or proceedings can also be initiated if the House passes a resolution authorizing an inquiry. The House Judiciary Committee would then investigate and either opt out or vote on it. Depending on the outcome of the vote, the House majority leader would then have the option to put the measure to a full chamber vote.

Assuming the House voted for impeachment, it would then go to the Senate for a trial. The trial would look a lot like a trial in a court of law. Witnesses on both sides could be subpoenaed or be called to testify. The Senate would then be called on to vote. A ‽successful" impeachment would require a two-thirds vote of the Senate. And right now, it is the Republicans who hold a Senate majority, with a good chance of picking up more seats in the midterms. 

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Democrats know full well how Congress works. Nonetheless, Democrats are counting on the ignorance of the American public about this process. They want to get the votes first on empty promises and anti-Trump sentiment, and then let the chips fall where they may! 

In this election, the American people have a choice: Vote for Republicans, and continue the progress being made on lower taxes, lower unemployment, higher stock market, safer borders, stronger military, more religious freedom, better judges, and more protections for the unborn " or, on the other hand, have all that progress cease and be caught in a deadlock of proceedings about impeachment that are only going to waste the time, attention and resources of the American people.

Priests for Life is the world's largest Catholic organization focused exclusively on ending abortion.