(10-08-2019, 10:19 AM)B2hibry Wrote:

(10-08-2019, 07:22 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: Weird that Trump doesn't seem to realize, you cannot impeach a Congressperson or Senator.  How can he not know this?

Umm, Article II, section 4, says they can. In 1797, Senator William Blount was impeached and remains the only one to this day. Of course, you understand they (Congress) aren't going to support or push a rule of law that can be applied to them in a negative. Not going to cut off the nose despite the face. They like to lean towards "expulsion" nowadays and of course, change the rules every so often. 

"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

Yeah, it's a confused topic in the Constitution.  Blount was both impeached and expelled, but his impeachment trial never took place. The only thing impeachment might have added was a ban on him holding office in the future. An expelled person can always be re-admitted at a future date, but impeachment can mean disqualification for life.  There was debate at the time of if senators counted as "civil officers" not.
There's no need for the House to impeach a Senator when that procedure requires the same 2/3 vote that expulsion requires.  But if more than 50% but less than 67% of the House wants to expel a congressperson,  they could in theory try impeachment instead of expulsion, and let the Senate decide it.  This has never happened that I've heard of.
I think if you look at the Constitution as a whole, the framers intended for members of Congress that were behaving badly to be expelled, and all other officers to be impeached.

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