CARBONDALE (WSIL) � For the first time since 1998, a sitting U.S. president will undergo following an announcement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California).
"She believed that it was a politically risky process and is likely to end with the president remaining in office because the Senate will not convict," said John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.
It’s the first step of a lengthy process that has come close to removing a president from office, but has fallen short twice in the Senate chambers.
Shaw believes the impeachment process will pass a democrat-controlled House but will ultimately fall short in the republican-controlled Senate.
"There are no real indications that many republicans are even really open to seriously examining whatever articles of impeachment the House were to produce," Shaw said.
Shaw says the proceedings will most likely head to the House Judiciary Committee where lawmakers will hold several meetings to discuss the allegations surrounding President Donald Trump.
He adds that House democrats will likely impeach President Trump before the end of the year which could open the door to a Senate trial in January.
President Trump joins three other commanders-in-chief to undergo impeachment proceedings joining Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon and Andrew Johnson.
Clinton and Johnson were both impeached by House lawmakers in 1998 and 1868, respectively, but neither president was convicted by the Senate. Nixon resigned in 1974 before the House of Representatives could move forward with an impeachment vote.
