The Senate plays a crucial role in the impeachment process as the body responsible for conducting the trial after the House of Representatives impeaches (formally accuses) a federal official. Specifically:
- The House has the sole power to impeach, meaning to bring charges against the official for "high crimes and misdemeanors" (Article I, Section 2). Once the House approves articles of impeachment by a simple majority, the process moves to the Senate
- The Senate has the sole power to try all impeachments (Article I, Section 3). This means the Senate acts as a court, holding a trial to consider the evidence, hear witnesses, and determine guilt or innocence
- Senators must take an oath or affirmation to perform their duties honestly during the trial. If the President is being tried, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the trial
- The Senate hears the prosecution case presented by House-appointed managers and the defense by the impeached official's attorneys. Senators act as the jury and deliberate, usually in private, before voting
- Conviction requires a two-thirds majority vote of the Senators present. If convicted, the official is removed from office immediately. The Senate may also vote separately to disqualify the individual from holding future federal office, which requires only a simple majority
- The Senate's impeachment trial is a political process rather than a criminal trial, and the penalty is removal and possible disqualification, not criminal punishment
In summary, the Senate's role is to conduct the trial following impeachment by the House, weigh the evidence, and vote on whether to convict and remove the official from office, serving as a key check in the constitutional system of checks and balances
