Simone Lawson
The impeachment of government officials is a unique feature of the US Constitution. The process involves bringing charges against a government official for wrongdoing, which may result in their removal from office. The US Constitution gives the House of Representatives the sole power of impeachment and the Senate the sole power to try all impeachments. However, the Constitution provides little guidance on the process of impeachment, which has led to debates about the validity of impeachment inquiries. In the case of President Donald Trump, the White House argued that the impeachment inquiry was constitutionally invalid, but legal experts disagreed, stating that the House has the authority to decide how to handle the process.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Is a formal vote required to authorize an impeachment inquiry? | No, the House can decide to impeach without a formal vote. |
| Is the House required to follow its own rules? | Yes, the House must follow its own rules until it chooses to change them. |
| Does the Constitution limit the number of times an individual may be impeached? | No, Donald Trump is the only federal officer to have been impeached more than once. |
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What You'll Learn
The House has the sole power of impeachment
The Constitution gives the House of Representatives the sole power to impeach federal officials. The House has initiated impeachment proceedings more than 60 times, but there have only been 21 impeachments. This includes three presidents, one cabinet secretary, and one senator.
The House may bring impeachment charges against federal officials as part of its oversight and investigatory responsibilities. The process often begins when a lawmaker introduces an impeachment resolution or when the House passes a resolution authorizing an inquiry. The Committee on the Judiciary ordinarily has jurisdiction over impeachments, but special committees have also investigated charges. The committee then chooses whether to pursue articles of impeachment against the accused official and report them to the full House. If the articles are adopted by a simple majority vote, the House appoints Members by resolution to manage the ensuing Senate trial on its behalf.
The House has the power to impeach and the Senate has the power to try impeachments. The Constitution gives Congress the authority to impeach and remove "The President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States" upon a determination that such officers have engaged in treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
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The Constitution does not require a vote to authorise an inquiry
The House of Representatives can impeach a party with a simple majority of those present. This triggers a federal impeachment trial in the United States Senate, which can vote by a two-thirds majority to convict and remove an official from office. The House can impeach an official for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors". However, the Constitution does not define "high crimes and misdemeanors", giving Congress significant leeway in interpreting this clause.
In the case of President Donald Trump's impeachment inquiry, the White House Counsel argued that the inquiry was "constitutionally invalid" due to the lack of a formal vote to authorise it. However, legal experts have refuted this claim, stating that there is no constitutional requirement for a vote to initiate an impeachment inquiry. The House can decide to launch an inquiry without a vote if it chooses to do so.
The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has the authority to initiate an impeachment inquiry without a formal vote. The House has wide latitude in deciding how to handle the impeachment process, and it is not constitutionally required to hold a vote to authorise the inquiry. The House's own rules may require such a vote, but the decision to follow those rules is at the House's discretion.
In summary, the Constitution grants the House of Representatives the sole power of impeachment and does not mandate a vote to authorise an inquiry. The House has the authority to initiate impeachment proceedings as it deems fit, and the specific process is left to the House's discretion.
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The House can impeach for any reason
The House of Representatives has the sole power to impeach federal officials. The Constitution gives the House and its leaders the freedom to decide how to handle impeachment, with the Senate being the sole court for impeachment trials. The Constitution does not limit the number of times an individual may be impeached.
The House of Representatives can impeach a party with a simple majority of the House members present or such other criteria as the House adopts in accordance with Article One, Section 2, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution. This triggers a federal impeachment trial in the United States Senate, which can vote by a two-thirds majority to convict an official, removing them from office. The Senate can also further, with just a simple-majority vote, vote to bar an individual convicted in a senate impeachment trial from holding future federal office.
Impeachment is the process of bringing charges against a government official for wrongdoing. A trial may be held, and the official may be removed from office. The Constitution gives Congress the power to impeach federal officials. An official can be impeached for treason, bribery, and “other high crimes and misdemeanors.” The House of Representatives brings articles (charges) of impeachment against an official. If the House adopts the articles by a simple majority vote, the official has been impeached.
The House has initiated impeachment proceedings more than 60 times. But there have been only 21 impeachments. This includes three presidents, one cabinet secretary, and one senator. Of those who were impeached, only eight officials were found guilty by the Senate and removed from office. All eight were federal judges.
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The House has initiated impeachment over 60 times
The House of Representatives has initiated impeachment proceedings more than 60 times, but there have only been 21 impeachments. This includes three presidents, one cabinet secretary, and one senator. Of those who were impeached, only eight officials—all federal judges—were found guilty by the Senate and removed from office.
The House has the sole power of impeachment, according to the US Constitution. The Senate is the sole court for impeachment trials. The Constitution does not limit the number of times an individual may be impeached. As of 2025, Donald Trump is the only federal officer to have been impeached more than once.
Impeachment proceedings are remedial rather than punitive in nature, and the remedy is limited to removal from office. Because the process is not punitive, a party may also be subject to criminal or civil trial, prosecution, and conviction under the law after removal from office.
The federal House of Representatives can impeach a party with a simple majority of the House members present. This triggers a federal impeachment trial in the United States Senate, which can vote by a two-thirds majority to convict an official, removing them from office. The Senate can also, with just a simple-majority vote, bar an individual convicted in a Senate impeachment trial from holding future federal office.
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The Senate has the power to try impeachments
The power to try impeachments lies with the Senate, which is the upper chamber of the United States Congress. The US Constitution grants the Senate the "sole power to try all impeachments".
The impeachment process is a system of checks and balances, allowing Congress to charge and try federal officials for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors". The House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress, has the "sole power of impeachment". It can impeach a party with a simple majority of the House members present. This triggers a federal impeachment trial in the Senate.
The Senate sits as a High Court of Impeachment, considering evidence, hearing witnesses, and voting to acquit or convict the impeached official. A two-thirds majority is required to convict and remove an official from office. The Senate can also bar an individual from holding future federal office with a simple-majority vote.
The Trump administration has argued that the impeachment inquiry into the President is "constitutionally invalid", refusing to cooperate with the House's investigation. However, legal experts and commentators have rejected this claim, noting that the Constitution gives the House wide latitude in deciding how to handle impeachment. There is no constitutional requirement for the House to authorize an impeachment inquiry with a floor vote, and the House can do pretty much whatever it wants when it comes to impeachment.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the House does not constitutionally need to authorize an impeachment inquiry. The Constitution simply gives the House the sole power of impeachment and it is up to the House to decide how to get there.
No, the Constitution gives the House wide latitude to decide how to handle impeachment. The House can do pretty much whatever it wants when it comes to impeachment.
No, there is no constitutional requirement that the House take two successful votes on impeachment. An impeachment inquiry is not “invalid” because there has been no vote to formally launch it.
