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members study the committee’s findings, debate the charges, and then vote on the articles. A simple majority vote in support of the articles results in their passage. At this point, the official formally accused of wrongdoing by the House of Representatives is considered to have been impeached. He or she is charged with a crime but has not yet been tried on those charges. The impeachment proceedings in the House are similar to a grand jury investigation, in which prosecutors introduce evidence of a suspect’s involvement in a crime and a jury decides whether there is enough evidence to charge the defendant and send him or her to trial. If the jury votes that there is, that suspect is indicted —or formally charged—and awaits trial. In the same way, a federal official who is formally accused of wrongdoing is impeached and the procedure moves to a trial in the U.S. Senate. The Senate´s Role The Senate phase of the impeachment proceedings is indeed much like an ordinary trial, only with an extraordinary judge, jury, prosecution, and defendant. In cases of presidential impeachment, the chief justice of the Supreme Court presides over the trial. The “jury” of senators listens to House managers (representatives who serve in the role of prosecuting attorneys). Defense lawyers present evidence, call people to testify, and cross-examine witnesses. After each side has presented its case, the Senate meets in private and delib- erates on the charges and the evidence against the accused official. After thoroughly discussing and debating the case, the senators take a vote. Two-thirds of the 100 senators must vote “guilty” on any given article of impeachment for there to be a conviction on that particular charge. If the official is convicted on one or more arti- cles of impeachment, he or she is automatically removed from office. The senators next vote on additional punishment, if any. In addition to removal, they can decide to prevent the official from ever holding a federal public office again. In the case of a president who is both impeached and convicted, the vice president immediately assumes the presidency.

A Rare but Solemn Action A presidential impeachment is extremely uncommon, and there has never been a presidential conviction in American history. Although often threatened, impeachment

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