“When crafting the Constitution, the Founders feared the return of a monarchy in America. And, having just fought a war of independence, they specifically feared the prospect of a king president corrupted by foreign influence,” said Pelosi. “ … During the Constitutional Convention, James Madison–the architect of the Constitution–warned that a President might ‘betray his trust to foreign powers… which might prove fatal to the republic.’”
Broadly, Trump’s actions surrounding a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and pressuring him into announcing a investigation into political rival Joe Biden–an investigation that many argue is not only baseless, but is solely designed to taint Biden's image–are at the heart of the impeachment proceedings. The initial stages of the process is complete, including an investigation from the Intelligence Committee, Oversight Committee and Foreign Affairs Committees as well as testimony from a number of principals.
Parsing Through a Sparsely Used Procedure with the National Center for Constitutional Studies
According to the National Center for Constitutional Studies (NCCS), the House Judiciary Committee will forward the complaint to its Subcommittee on the Constitution, which investigates the matter and, if there is merit to it, prepare the Articles of Impeachment outlining the specific charges the President will face. After that, the Judiciary Committee will vote on those Articles, and if approved, the full House will vote as well.
“A simple majority of the House either approves or disapproves the Articles. If disapproved, the issue is terminated. Approval, however, is, in effect, the equivalent of a grand jury indictment against that official,” according to information from the NCCS. “The approved Articles of Impeachment are then delivered to the Senate. With this action, the House’s role in an impeachment is finished." The Senate would then decide if the President is guilty. A vote of guilt by two-thirds of the Senate is required to strip the President of his office. The Senate may also bar the indicted official from holding all future offices. “This is the extent of the Senate penalty; it can withhold political positions, but it cannot impose civil or criminal penalties,” reads the NCCS explanation.
From Twitter
NEWS: SCHIFF says Pence aide Jennifer Williams submitted additional tetimony Nov. 26 that Pence's office deemed classified. He's asking for it to be declassified and says it's relevant to corrobrate other Ukraine/impeachment evidence. Schiff's letter.
Pelosi, for her part, has made her stance on the President’s actions clear during her announcement that the impeachment proceedings would continue. “The facts are uncontested: the President abused his power for his own personal, political benefit at the expense of our national security, by withholding military aid and a crucial Oval Office meeting in exchange for an announcement of an investigation into his political rival,” she said.. “Our Democracy is what is at stake. The President leaves us no choice but to act, because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit. The President has engaged in abuse of power undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections.”