“Stop Undermining Democracy Now”
By Jim Bates, Retired, Democratic City Councilman, County Supervisor and Congressman
“Stop Undermining Democracy Now” (SUDN) is calling on the United States Congress to introduce a Constitutional Amendment to require a 2/3rds affirmative vote of Members of the House of Representatives, instead of a simple majority, to “impeach” the President of the United States of America.
SUDN points out that this amendment is necessary in light of the recent experience where President Donald J. Trump was impeached on a vote that was along straight political party lines – the very definition of a partisan political action. Impeachment based on political motives was strictly rejected in the Constitutional Convention in 1786. In contrast to the Trump vote, the 28 votes in the House Judiciary Committee to impeach President Richard Nixon included seven votes from Republicans, more than one third of the Republicans on the Committee.
The SUDN Constitutional Amendment, if approved, would be the 28th Amendment?to the Constitution. It would ensure that a “Partisan Impeachment” would never again disgrace the Halls of Congress and all future proceedings would have to actually meet House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s own impeachment standard of “Overwhelming, Compelling and Bipartisan” – which it was not for President Trump.
Congressman Jim Bates, Retired (Democrat-California), decried the fact that political parties today have continued their “Election Campaigning,” a 24/7 effort to feed the voracious appetite of the news media, which has no accountability to any standards of truth and fairness – regarding impeachment. Bates offered, “The sad result is that the House requirement to ‘Govern’ has been ignored and thrown out the window in favor of the impeachment effort as just another “Election Campaign Hit Piece.”
A 2/3rds vote standard for House action to impeach is similar to the 2/3rds vote for conviction or acquittal in a Senate Trial as required by the Constitution of the United States of America and would prevent future politically charged impeachment charges like “Abuse of Power” by the political party in power. It is a logical tool to stop a majority party from being able to exact “political revenge” on a partisan opponent if that party happens to obtain a simple majority in the House of Representatives.
Bates further pointed out, “In 1796, when the Constitution was adopted there were no defined “Political Parties,” yet President George Washington warned against “Partisan Impeachment.”
Today with strong partisan parties, President Washington’s warning is even more important. Impeachment is the most serious action the House of Representatives can take and not be a weapon based on partisan Politics.”
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