# No House of Representatives vote on Impeachment. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 20, 2019, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060 "2019-10-20T23:31:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/21 "2019-10-21T01:17:36Z")
> [@Tempe\_Jeff](#): > > Vox and lawfare? WTF are you desperate? Seriously, why haven’t they had a vote? Should be easy, if you’re correct. Says the person whose OP included a link to “theconservativetreehouse”. Yeah. OK, Buddy. ---
**Author:** ![Tempe\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tempe_jeff/32/7328_2.png) [@Tempe\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tempe_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/22 "2019-10-21T01:18:18Z")
> [@mjmlabs](#): > > You seem to be failing to understand that the House already possesses “legal authority to compel witnesses to appear.” This has been asked and answered, repeatedly, in this thread. This sort of behavior has a name or two. So does obfuscation to prevent inquiry. The Constitution requires a vote. Are you against the Constitution? ---
**Author:** ![mjmlabs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mjmlabs/32/69_2.png) [@mjmlabs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmlabs)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/23 "2019-10-21T01:19:47Z")
> [@Tempe\_Jeff](#): > > OUR Constitution, unless you forgot. The fact you said theirs is troubling on it’s face. Again, there seem to be comprehension issues at play here, in addition to the grammatical ones. ---
**Author:** ![mjmlabs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mjmlabs/32/69_2.png) [@mjmlabs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmlabs)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/24 "2019-10-21T01:21:51Z")
> [@Tempe\_Jeff](#): > > So does obfuscation to prevent inquiry. The Constitution requires a vote. Are you against the Constitution? The Constitution does NOT require a vote. If you believe it does, you are mistaken. If you do not believe it does, you are worse than mistaken. In any event, I’ll be heading off to have some dinner now. Perhaps you would be well served to do some reading of your own with regard to these issues. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/25 "2019-10-21T01:25:20Z")
> [@Tempe\_Jeff](#): > > So does obfuscation to prevent inquiry. The Constitution requires a vote. Are you against the Constitution? It seems that your sources are ignorant of the constitution. [https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/465402-the-constitution-doesnt-require-a-vote-to-start-the-impeachment-process](https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/465402-the-constitution-doesnt-require-a-vote-to-start-the-impeachment-process) > [@](#): > > The extraordinary letter from White House Counsel Pat Cipollone to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi outlines President Trump’s numerous complaints about the impeachment process. At least as to the argument that the current inquiry is invalid because there has been no formal vote by the House of Representatives, there should be little doubt that Cipollone is wrong. No such vote is necessary because the Constitution dictates no fixed process for impeachment investigations or trials. This know from the U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of Judge Walter L. Nixon’s challenge to his impeachment more than twenty years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/26 "2019-10-21T01:33:19Z")
> [@mjmlabs](#): > > The Constitution does NOT require a vote. If you believe it does, you are mistaken. If you do not believe it does, you are worse than mistaken. The rules are that Republicans don’t need to abide by the rules, but Democrats are expected to abide by rules that aren’t even in the rules. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/27 "2019-10-21T01:39:50Z")
> [@Tempe\_Jeff](#): > > The Constitution requires a vote. Are you against the Constitution? Please quote the Constitution where it requires a vote. . ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/28 "2019-10-21T02:14:20Z")
> [@Tempe\_Jeff](#): > > So does obfuscation to prevent inquiry. The Constitution requires a vote. Are you against the Constitution? Ooh, that’s a scary response. The Constitution doesn’t require a vote. You can’t show us where it does, because it doesn’t. Not even Trump believes a vote is required and he’s a moron, according to former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. And dumb as shit, according to former economic adviser Gary Cohn. And an idiot, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin \*and \*former chief of staff Reince Priebus \*and \*former White House chief of staff John Kelly \*and \*former national security adviser H.R. McMaster. Hey, he only picks the best guys. They know what they’re talking about. Unlike, you know, places like the conservative tree house. But it does say this: > [@](#): > > And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, **of any kind whatever** , from any King, Prince, or foreign State. That ought to scare you. It scares the shit out of Trump and a bunch of Republicans in Congress. And man, that’s a lot of shit. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/29 "2019-10-21T02:23:16Z")
> [@Tempe\_Jeff](#): > > OUR Constitution, unless you forgot. The fact you said theirs is troubling on it’s face. Would any response short of “Good Gosh And Golly-You are absolutely right!!” be acceptable to you? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/30 "2019-10-21T02:31:30Z")
Trump and Trump voters, peas in a pod. Peas in a “No, I’ve never actually read the constitution” pod. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/31 "2019-10-21T02:41:23Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The Constitution doesn’t require a vote. You can’t show us where it does… Sure, he can. All he has to do is find a copy of the Constitution, copy the part where it says a vote is required, and post it here! ---
**Author:** ![mjmlabs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mjmlabs/32/69_2.png) [@mjmlabs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmlabs)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/32 "2019-10-21T02:47:13Z")
… I’ll just leave this here: [https://constitutionus.com/](https://constitutionus.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/33 "2019-10-21T04:11:19Z")
Moderating: Before this plays out I’m not sure if there is a GQ answer. It’s not directly related to an election so I won’t move it there. There seems to be a debate about what will happen so that’s where it will go. So moved. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/34 "2019-10-21T09:10:30Z")
As I understand it (and I can be wrong) a House vote passing articles of impeachment - charges in an indictment - sends the indictment to the Senate for trial. The White House seems to insist they can’t be investigated, can’t be compelled to comply with subpoenas, until AFTER the indictment, which is just plumb loco. No - investigate first, find evidence, draw up charges, THEN indict / impeach. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/35 "2019-10-21T11:38:09Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > The White House seems to insist they can’t be investigated, can’t be compelled to comply with subpoenas, until AFTER the indictment …and no indictment without due process evidence. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/36 "2019-10-21T12:09:01Z")
Of course there is a factual answer and there is no requirement to take a vote of the full House before proceeding with subpoenas and investigations. I am quite skeptical that the administration would suddenly start honoring subpoenas if Pelosi took that full House vote. The House can and should take failures to comply with subpoenas very seriously and take them to court, which will expedite the matter and it should go up to the Supreme Court in a matter of weeks. I suppose the next thing that the right wing will come up with is that subpoenas can be ignored because the flag in the House chamber doesn’t have gold fringe or something equally silly. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/37 "2019-10-21T12:19:24Z")
> [@Tempe\_Jeff](#): > > Here’s a link. > … [theconservativetreehouse.com](http://theconservativetreehouse.com) … > [@](#): > > Overall, The Last Refuge (Conservative Treehouse) far right biased and borderline questionable based on multiple failed fact checks. This source is one failed fact check from moving to the Questionable list. Check. > [@Tempe\_Jeff](#): > > On the other question, shouldn’t they actually vote first? Let me see if I understand your question. The House has subpoena power already but some hack in the White House asserts they need to take a vote first. You assume the WH hack knows WTF he’s talking about. If that same hack had asserted that Speaker Pelosi needs to walk naked down Fifth Avenue before the subpoenas were valid, would that be your talking point? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/38 "2019-10-21T15:05:25Z")
> [@mjmlabs](#): > > Seriously, why _should_ they have a vote? What would that accomplish? It would cause delays and help Trump. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/39 "2019-10-21T15:24:48Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Ooh, that’s a scary response. > > The Constitution doesn’t require a vote. You can’t show us where it does, because it doesn’t. Not even Trump believes a vote is required and he’s a moron, according to former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. And dumb as shit, according to former economic adviser Gary Cohn. And an idiot, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin \*and \*former chief of staff Reince Priebus \*and \*former White House chief of staff John Kelly \*and \*former national security adviser H.R. McMaster. Hey, he only picks the best guys. They know what they’re talking about. Unlike, you know, places like the conservative tree house. > > But it does say this: > > That ought to scare you. It scares the shit out of Trump and a bunch of Republicans in Congress. And man, that’s a lot of shit. (golf clap) **Tempe Jeff** : before I consider further participation in this thread, are you here to learn and take on information posted by people who clearly know more than you do about this topic? Or are you just here to sneer at the stoopid libruls? If it’s the latter, I see no point in bothering. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060/40 "2019-10-21T15:42:12Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > (golf clap) > > **Tempe Jeff** : before I consider further participation in this thread, are you here to learn and take on information posted by people who clearly know more than you do about this topic? Or are you just here to sneer at the stoopid libruls? If it’s the latter, I see no point in bothering. Eh, never mind; [I think I have my answer](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=883939). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-house-of-representatives-vote-on-impeachment/842060.md?page=3)