List of efforts to impeach vice presidents of the United States

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The Constitution of the United States gives Congress the authority to remove the vice president of the United States from office in two separate proceedings. The first one takes place in the House of Representatives, which impeaches the vice president by approving articles of impeachment through a simple majority vote. The second proceeding, the impeachment trial, takes place in the Senate. There, conviction on any of the articles requires a two-thirds majority vote and would result in the removal from office (if currently sitting), and possible debarment from holding future office.[1]

No United States vice president has been impeached. One has gone through an impeachment inquiry, however, without being formally impeached.

Procedure[edit]

Main article: Impeachment in the United States § Federal impeachment

A loophole was filled in a change of rules during the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in 1999. Prior to this change, vice presidents were authorized to preside over an impeachment trial of themselves; the Senate has now authorized the chief justice to preside in such a circumstance.[2]

Vice presidents who requested an impeachment inquiry[edit]

John C. Calhoun[edit]

In 1826, Vice President John C. Calhoun himself requested a House impeachment inquiry be launched into him regarding allegations that he had profited from a contract during his tenure as United States secretary of war.[3][4] His request was granted, and a House select committee conducted an impeachment inquiry which, in only a matter of weeks, found Calhoun innocent of wrongdoing.[4]

Spiro Agnew[edit]

On September 26, 1973, a request by Vice President Spiro Agnew that an impeachment inquiry into him be launched was denied by Speaker of the House Carl Albert.[3][4] Agnew had requested such an inquiry to investigate charges that he had received bribes from construction companies during his tenure as the governor of Maryland.[3][4] Agnew cited the precedent in which Calhoun had requested and been granted an impeachment inquiry into himself in 1826.[3][4] Agnew had hoped that a House investigation could serve as an alternate to a grand jury investigation and court litigation.[3][4]

Speaker Albert discussed the potential inquiry with House Democratic leaders and House Parliamentarian Lewis Deschler, before deciding against granting one to Agnew.[3]

Bella Abzug, argued that this was the right decision, as the House needed to instead focus on starting an impeachment inquiry against President Richard Nixon relating to the Watergate break in.[3]

Weeks later, on October 10, 1973, as part of a plea bargain relating to a charge of tax evasion, Vice President Agnew resigned.[3]

Impeachment resolutions[edit]

Schuyler Colfax[edit]

Vice President Schuyler Colfax's name surfaced during witness testimony in a House investigation of the Crédit Mobilier of America scandal.[5]

Under this cloud of suspicion, on February 20, 1873 (less than a month before Colfax's term expired), Representative Fernando Wood introduced a resolution to investigate the vice president's conduct.[5][6] The House voted 105 to 109 not to consider it.[6] James Noble Tyner, then, presented a second resolution which would refer the testimony to the House Committee on the Judiciary "with instructions to inquire whether anything in such testimony warrants articles of impeachment of any officer of the United States not a Member of this House, or makes it proper that further investigation should be ordered in this case."[6] This second resolution was agreed to without debate or division.[6] On February 24, Benjamin Butler submitted the committee's report. Debate was held briefly on February 24, before being postponed to February 26. Debate does not appear to have been taken up again.[6]

The main reasons why impeachment failed to arise are believed to be that the incident in question took place during Colfax's tenure as a representative (not as vice president), and because, when the actions became known, only a few weeks remained before his term expired.[7][8]

Dick Cheney[edit]

Main article: Efforts to impeach Dick Cheney

In April 2007, United States Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) file impeachment resolution (H.Res. 333) against Vice President Dick Cheney, seeking his trial in the Senate on three charges. After months of inaction, Kucinich re-introduced the exact content of H. Res 333 as a new resolution numbered H.Res. 799 in November 2007.

Both resolutions were referred to the Judiciary Committee immediately after their introduction and the Committee did not consider either. Both resolutions expired upon the termination of the 110th United States Congress on January 3, 2009.[9][10]

Kamala Harris[edit]

On September 24, 2021, Republican United States Representative Lauren Boebert introduced a resolution to impeach Vice President Kamala Harris over Harris' support for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.[11] It was cosponsored by Republicans Bob Good and Ralph Norman.[12] The resolution was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary the same day, with no further action being taken.[13]

On June 12, 2023, Republican Representative Andy Ogles introduced a resolution to impeach Harris for the Biden administration's handling of security at the United States–Mexico border. It is co-sponsored by Republicans Lauren Boebert and Mary Miller. It was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.[14]

Other[edit]

Andrew Johnson[edit]

See also: Efforts to impeach Andrew Johnson

After Andrew Johnson's drunken behavior at the second inauguration of Abraham Lincoln (where Johnson was sworn-in as vice president), Senator Charles Sumner considered seeking to persuade members of House of the Representatives to pursue an impeachment and went as far as researching precedent on federal impeachment.[15]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Cole, J. P.; Garvey, T. (October 29, 2015). "Report No. R44260, Impeachment and Removal" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2016.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "Special Report: Clinton Accused: Senate Rules for Impeachment". The Washington Post. December 15, 1998. Retrieved July 2, 2022.[failed verification]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Vice President Spiro Agnew's impeachment request | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Impeach or Indict ..." The New York Times. September 27, 1973. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Cong. Globe, 42nd Cong., 3rd Sess. 1544 (1873).
  6. ^ a b c d e "Hinds' Precedents, Volume 3 Chapter 79 - Impeachment Proceedings Not Resulting In Trial". www.govinfo.gov. U.S. Government Publishing Office. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  7. ^ MacDonald, William (1930). Allen Johnson and Dumas Malone (ed.). Dictionary of American Biography Colfax, Schuyler. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 298.
  8. ^ "U.S. Senate: Schuyler Colfax, 17th Vice President (1869-1873)". www.senate.gov. United States Senate. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  9. ^ "H.Res.333 - 110th Congress (2007-2008): Impeaching Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors". www.congress.gov. United States Congress. May 4, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  10. ^ "H.Res.799 - 110th Congress (2007-2008): Impeaching Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors". www.congress.gov. United States Congress. November 6, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  11. ^ "H.Res.679 - Impeaching Kamala Devi Harris, Vice President of the United States, for the high crimes and misdemeanors of betrayal of the public trust. Summary". www.congress.gov. United States Congress. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  12. ^ "H.Res.679 - Impeaching Kamala Devi Harris, Vice President of the United States, for the high crimes and misdemeanors of betrayal of the public trust. Cosponsors". www.congress.gov. United States Congress. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  13. ^ "H.Res.679 - Impeaching Kamala Devi Harris, Vice President of the United States, for the high crimes and misdemeanors of betrayal of the public trust. All Actions". www.congress.gov. United States Congress. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  14. ^ "H.Res.494 - Impeaching Kamala Devi Harris, Vice President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors". Congress.gov. United States Congress. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  15. ^ Poore, Ben Perley (March 5, 1887). "REMINISCENCES OF PUBLIC MEN". Newspapers.com. Grand Island Herald. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
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