What is the role of the Senate in the impeachment process?

The Senate's role in the impeachment process is crucial and specifically involves holding the trial and voting on whether to convict or acquit the official who has been impeached by the House of Representatives. After the House approves articles of impeachment, the process moves to the Senate, which acts as the jury in this situation. Senators hear evidence presented during the trial, question witnesses, and deliberate on the case.

A two-thirds majority vote in the Senate is required to convict, which can lead to the removal of the official from office. This responsibility is significant as it provides an essential check on executive and judicial power, ensuring that officials can only be removed after a thorough examination and substantiation of the charges against them. The trial is often a highly publicized and politically significant event, reflecting the serious nature of the impeachment process itself.

In contrast, initiating impeachment charges is the responsibility of the House of Representatives, while recommendations for impeachment articles do not formally exist as a distinct Senate function. Investigations into allegations can be conducted by various committees but is not specifically a Senate function in the same way that the trial is.