(10-08-2019, 10:51 AM)mikesez Wrote:

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

Quite the opposite, actually. Most documentation argues all elected members were to fall into that impeachment/removal category. Unfortunately, since the 1700s, it has not been definitive. One has to question the lack of a process that incorporates the "people" who placed these officers in position to also not be a part of their removal. While not direct, that is how an impeachment is viewed and supported. That is why there is such turmoil right at this very moment. The Dem House is going against precedents, house rules, and founders' intent as written. No matter what side anyone supports, this is an issue that needs to be black and white, or the populace suffers from career politician buy-offs and corruption perception.

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