BIDEN ROW: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Here’s everything you need to know about the crisis
IT STARTED WITH A PHONE CALL
Donald Trump had a phone call ■ with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the conduct of a corruption probe of Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden and his son.
He also ordered military aid to ■ Ukraine to be frozen, days
POSSIBILITIES
The House judiciary committee ■ can recommend articles of impeachment against Trump.
If the judiciary panel backs ■ impeachment articles, the matter goes to the full House for a vote. Democrats control the House.
If a majority of the ■ full House votes for impeachment, the matter goes to the Senate.
It takes a ■ two-thirds vote in the Senate to force a president from office - a daunting challenge for Democrats.
■ before a telling phone conversation in July.
The incident raises the
■ possibility that a US president used the power of his office to get a foreign government to help him win re-election.
TWO CASES FROM THE PAST
In 1998 and 1999, the House ■ under Republican control pursued the impeachment of the Democratic president Bill Clinton, based on matters arising from his relationships with women outside his marriage.
Only two presidents have been ■ impeached: Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Clinton. Both won acquittal in the Senate.
ROLE OF THE US CONSTITUTION
The Constitution gives ■ the House “the sole power of impeachment” and the Senate “the sole power to try all impeachments”. It dictates the
■ removal from office of a president who is convicted by the Senate of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”