Impeachment 1998-1999
Background & Research Resources

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About the impeachment process | About the Senate trial process
Talking to your kids about impeachment
Broadcast News Media Coverage If its on the air, you'll find it at Mining Co. Broadcast News Guide, Tim Hosfeldt's site.

Impeachment Wrap-up: What Happened and Why

Friday - February 12, 1999
The United States Senate voted to acquit President Clinton on both Articles of Impeachment as follows:

Article I - Perjury
55 Not Guilty - 45 Guilty

Article II - Obstruction of Justice
50 Guilty - 50 Not Guilty

67 Guilty votes (a 2/3 majority) would have been required to convict and remove the President from office.

How each Senator voted (From CNN)

With this final vote, the impeachment process ended.

Tuesday - February 9, 1999
Final deliberations begin. A vote to open the session to the public failed by a 41 - 59 vote. A 2/3 majority (67 votes) would have been required. (CNN Story)

Monday - February 8, 1999
Closing arguments presented. (CNN Story) Final vote expected Thursday or Friday,

Thursday - February 4, 1999
A big day of voting on how to proceed with the trial. The Senate voted: (Roll Calls from CNN)

• Approved 100 - 0 a motion to admit the Lewinsky, Jordan and Blumenthal depositions into evidence.
• Defeated 30 - 70 a motion to call Lewinsky to testify in person.
• Defeated 27 - 73 a motion to allow deposition transcripts only in summations and closing arguments.
• Approved 62 - 38 a motion to allow deposition transcripts and video tapes in summations and closing arguments.
• Defeated 44 - 56 a motion to move directly to closing arguments.
• Defeated 46 - 54 a motion forcing House managers to tell the President's attorneys what portions of video they will use.

Monday - February 1, 1999
Monica Lewinsky was questioned for over six hours by House Managers. No comment on the testimony was released. Vernon Jordan is up next. Read about the witnesses.

Thursday - January 28, 1999
By a 55-44 party-line vote, the Senate approved a Republican plan for witness depositions. Full story from CNN AllPolitics.

Wednesday - January 27, 1999
The Senate defeated by a 44-56 vote a motion to dismiss impeachment charges. The Senate then approved by a 56-44 margin the request by the House Managers to call witnesses. From CNN, here are complete breakdowns on the vote to dismiss and the vote to call witnesses. (Text of the motion to call witnesses.)

Monday - January 25, 1999
Senator Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia) offered a motion dismiss charges against President Clinton. Senator Tom Harkin (D - Iowa) offered a motion that the debate on Senator Byrd's motion to dismiss the charges be opened to the public. Senator Harkin's motion failed by a vote of 43-57. The debate on Senator Byrd's motion proceeded in closed session.

Senator Byrd's Motion to Dismiss Charges
Rehnquist: "The chair recognizes the senator from West Virginia."
Byrd: "Mr.Chief Justice, I send a motion in writing to the bench."
Rehnquist: "The clerk will read the motion."
Clerk: "The senator from West Virginia, Mr. Byrd, moves that the impeachment proceedings against William Jefferson Clinton, president of the United States, be and the same are duly dismissed."
Complete transcript on CNN

Saturday - January 23, 1999
House Managers secured permission from a Federal judge to compel Monica Lewinsky to return to Washington for an "informal" interview concerning her possible testimony in the Senate trial. Full story from CNN AllPolitics.

Friday - January 22, 1999
Senator Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia) confirmed his intention to offer a motion to dismiss the impeachment trial on Monday, January 25. In addition, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) suggested he will file a motion to adjourn the trial. Full story from CNN.

January 19-22, 1999 - The Defense
White House lawyers offered their presentation in defense of President Clinton. Here are the House Managers' responses.

January 14-16, 1999 - The Prosecution
Presentations by House Managers -- January 14-16. (via C-Span)

Friday - January 15, 1999
Senate Majority Leader, Senator Trent Lott, sent a letter to Minority Leader, Senator Tom Daschle suggesting "...that a bipartisan group of Senators could anticipate and help resolve in advance any complications that may be presented by our hearing the testimony of witnesses." Here's the text of Sen. Lott's letter.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), objected to being referred to as a "juror" by House Manager, Bob Barr. In their response to Senator Harkin, the Managers explain why they say "juror" and introduce us to a wonderful word, "scrupulosity."

Thursday - January 14, 1999
Senate Trial resumes.
Official "Procedure and Guidelines" (.pdf 497k)
As adopted by the US Senate via the GPO.

Friday - January 8, 1999
Senate Trial Plan (S.Res. 16) Adopted
From CNN AllPolitics

Thursday - January 7, 1999
Senate trial begins.

"Do you solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of President Clinton, now pending, you will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws: So help you God?"
-- The oath taken by Judge Rhenquist and all 100 US Senators

Judge: William Rhenquist, Chief Justice of the United States
House Mangers: (The House managers serve as prosecutors before the Senate. They will make opening and closing statements, can call and question witnesses, cross-examine defense witnesses, and present the case for conviction.)
Rep. Henry Hyde  R. Illinois
Rep. James Sensenbrenner R.Wisconsin
Rep. Bill McCollum R. Florida
Rep. George Gekas R. Pennsylvania
Rep. Charles Canady R.Florida
Rep. Steve Buyer R. Indiana
Rep. Ed Bryant R. Tennessee
Rep. Steve Chabot R. Ohio
Rep. Bob Barr R. Georgia
Rep. Asa Hutchinson R. Arkansas
Rep. Chris Cannon R. Utah
Rep. James Rogan R. California
Rep. Lindsey Graham R. South Carolina.

President Clinton's Defense Team:
David Kendall - Mr. Clinton's personal attorney
Charles Ruff - White House attorney
Gregory Craig - White House attorney

New Senators in 106th Congress
Blanche Lambert Lincoln (Dem - Arkansas)
Evan Bayh (Dem - Indiana)
John R. Edwards (Dem - North Carolina)
Charles E. Schumer (Dem - New York)
Michael D. Crapo (Rep - Idaho)
Peter G. Fitzgerald (Rep - Illinois)
Jim Bunning (Rep - Kentucky)
George V. Voinovich (Rep - Ohio)

Tuesday - January 5, 1999
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott announced that the impeachment trial in the Senate would begin on Thursday, January 7, 1999. No details as to the structure or timing of the trial were released.

Tuesday - December 22, 1998
The four Republican House Members calling for the Senate to approve a severe censure resolution instead of removal from office are: Michael Castle of Delaware, Jim Greenwood of Pennsylvania and Sherwood Boehlert and Benjamin Gilman, both of New York

The Senate trial is scheduled to begin January 7, 1999 with the swearing in of Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist as trial judge. At any time afterwards, the Senate could consider an alternative censure resolution or drop the trial and charges against the President by a simple majority (51 Senators) vote.

Saturday - December 19, 1998

House Passes Two Articles of Impeachment
President Clinton became the second President (first elected President) in US history to be impeached by the House of Representatives. (Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868, but acquitted by 1 vote in the Senate. Read about the impeachment of Andrew Johnson.)

The next step in the impeachment process will be a trial in the US Senate expected to begin in January 1999.

The Votes on Each Article of Impeachment

Article I - Passed
Charge: Perjury before a Federal Grand Jury
Yeas: 228 - 223 Republicans, 5 Democrats
Nays: 206 - 5 Republicans, 200 Democrats, 1 Independent*
Not Voting: 1 - 1 Democrat

Article II - Failed
Charge: Perjury in depositions before a Federal judge
Yeas: 205 - 200 Republicans, 5 Democrats
Nays: 229 - 28 Republicans, 200 Democrats, 1 Independent*
Not Voting: 1 - 1 Democrat

Article III - Passed
Charge: Obstruction of justice
Yeas: 221 - 216 Republicans, 5 Democrats
Nays: 212 - 12 Republicans, 199 Democrats, 1 Independent*
Not Voting: 2 - 2 Democrats

Article IV- Failed
Charge: Misuse of Power
Yeas: 148 - 147 Republicans, 1 Democrat
Nays: 285 - 81 Republicans, 203 Democrats, 1 Independent*
Not Voting: 2 - 2 Democrats

*The member of the Independent Party is Representative Bernard Sanders of Vermont.

Complete breakdown of voting by Member from the House of Representatives Roll Call Votes site.
Vote on Article I
Vote on Article II
Vote on Article III
Vote on Article IV

Text of the Articles of Impeachment
|Article I| |Article II| |Article III| |Article IV|

House Managers Selected
"House Managers," act as prosecutors in Senate impeachment trials. The following Representatives were selected:
Henry Hyde of Illinois, James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, Bill McCollum of Florida, George Gekas of Pennsylvania, Charles Canady of Florida, Steve Buyer of Indiana, Ed Bryant of Tennessee, Steve Chabot of Ohio, Bob Barr of Georgia, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Chris Cannon of Utah, James Rogan of California and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. (Roll Call vote on H. Res. 614)

But, please be aware that since the Senate impeachment trial won't start until next year, the above list of House Managers will have to be voted on again by the new House and may change as a result.

Speaker Elect Livingston Resigns
Speaker of the House Elect, Bob Livingston, announced that he will not seek the Speakership and will resign his seat in the House later in the year. The story from CNN AllPolitics.

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Background & Research Resources
Remember the Starr Report? Here it is, along with sources for researching the process and history of the impeachment process.

Talking to Children About Impeachment
If it's confusing and disturbing to you, how does it look to your kids? Mining Co. Stay at Home Parents Guide, Barbara Whiting offers resources to help you explain impeachment to children.