Despite being the type of person who reads the news religiously every day, even attempting to follow President Trump's impeachment proceedings can be seemingly impossible. Here's my guide to the basics of the process.
The Process
- Congress- President Trump is investigated for impeachable offenses
- House Judiciary Committee addresses findings, determines whether or not there are evident crimes to be investigated.
- Congress votes on the Articles of Impeachment- either a yes or no vote.
- Articles of Impeachment are sent to the Senate
- Senate trial on Articles of Impeachment
- Senate vote on impeachment- 67 or more Senators convict, then the President is impeached.
Why Is This Happening?
After a whistle-blower complaint, President Trump has been accused of pressuring the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into investigating 2020 Presidential candidate Joe Biden. The White House whistle-blower believed they had witnessed President Trump abusing his office for political gain.
Where are we in the Process?
We are currently on Step 5 of the Impeachment proceedings. We're heading into the 10th day of testimony in the Senate on January 30th. Both the House Managers and White House lawyers have completed their opening statements.
What's Coming?
Tomorrow marks the beginning of Senators' questions being asked via notecards- they're not allowed to speak during the session. The questions alternate by party, so both Democrats and Republicans alike can have their inquiries answered. The Senate is anticipated to vote on potentially allow new evidence and witnesses to be entered into the trial. This vote can be expected on Friday.
How Can I Keep Following?
I've discovered that the simplest way to stay up to date on all of the Impeachment proceedings, while avoiding too many opinions and just getting the facts, is through the New York Times Impeachment Live Updates Page.
If you want to dig a little more into the nuances of the Senate trial, C-SPAN has a page devoted to the important clips and a link to a live-stream of the Senate floor.
I highly recommend these resources to anyone who is looking for more information on everything related to the Impeachment process.
