Impeachment Hits the Senate

Twist Number 2:
Censure
The Senate could decide to censure the President, possibly before the completion of a full-scale trial. This form of punishment serves as a reprimand that may or may not require Clinton to pay a fine. Some Republican Senators say they will support censure as an option only if Clinton admits he lied to the grand jury investigating his affair with Monica Lewinsky. A resolution of censure would likely be drafted by senators from both parties. There is some debate as to whether censure is a constitutional option.

Twist Number 3:
Adjournment
A motion to suspend or adjourn the impeachment trial can be made at any time once the articles of impeachment reach the Senate. If a majority of senators (51 or more) approve such a motion, the trial would end without the need for a verdict.

Twist Number 4:
The Lieberman/Gorton Proposal
Senators Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and Slade Gorton, R-Wash., have come up with a proposal that would allow for a vote after hearing arguments from both the House managers and the President's counsel. If at least two-thirds of the senators agree at that point that the charges do not warrant the President's removal from office, the Senate could move to end the trial and instead consider a plan for censure.

• A Short History of Impeachment
• Presidential Scandals
• News of the Nation: 1998 in Review