The document mentions three names, which are William Jefferson Clinton, Gary Sisco, and William Rehnquist. The individuals are indicated since they are crucial in the creation of the document. Gary Sisco was the U.S. Senate secretary and was involved in writing the impeachment form. Clinton, on the other hand, was the victim of this vicious circle facing impeachment, while Rehnquist was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court-mandated to administer oaths on the senators supporting involuntary removal of Clinton from office. In addition, the document bears a date, January 7, 1999, which was the period scheduled for the impeachment of Clinton (United States Senate, 1999). Lastly, Washington, D.C, is mentioned as it is the capital city of the U.S. The choice of using Washington influences the strength of American democracy since it is the center of all political activities of the nation. Hence, Washington represents the voices of all the American citizens from different parts of the country.
Understandably, the document was created specifically for the senators to allow those supporting the motion to remove Clinton and to take the oath before impeaching him. Thus, the form’s main idea was the administration of oath to the senators before voting to eliminate Clinton from the presidential seat. In addition, the document connects to Article I, sections 1-7 of the U.S. Constitution, precisely section 3, which describes the impeachment procedure. Section three of Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution provides that the Senate is the only body with the power to try all the impeachments. However, the segment adds that on the day of impeachment, the senators should take an oath, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is the one to preside over the process (Congressional Research Services, 2019). Lastly, it clarifies that the president can only be impeached if two-thirds of the sitting members support it.
Additionally, the big idea of the constitution contained in the document is the process for the impeachment of the president and the vital role of the Senate. The U.S. Constitution bestows all the powers for involuntary removal of the president on the Senate. Also, the law gives all the responsibilities of presiding over the Senate sitting during the impeachment to the Chief Justice, who also administers oaths to the senators. The minimum requirement for constitutional removal of the sitting president is support from two-thirds of the present senators (Congressional Research Services, 2019). Thus, the impeachment documents represent the constitutional authority of the Senate in the impeachment process.
Importantly, the form is still necessary for guiding future actions and deeds. We still need this document since it is the democratic right of Americans to be led by a deserving president who should be constitutionally removed when he or she breaches the terms of office. As a democratic nation, the grounds and conditions for the involuntary removal of the president should be preserved to prevent individuals from misusing their presidential powers. It cannot be assumed that at this age, every elected individual would strictly adhere to the provisions of the constitutions. Some individuals change drastically once they obtain power, and without checks and balances, which is vested in the Senate, such a person can evolve into a tyrant. Therefore, we still need the document as an assurance of the right to impeach the president who fails to honor the constitutional responsibilities.
References
Congressional Research Services. (2019). Impeachment and the Constitution. Web.
United States Senate. (1999). Oaths of senators for the impeachment trial of William Jefferson Clinton. Records of the United States Senate.