What Next?

September 23, 1998
From time to time we ask the question, What next? This is certainly appropriate when we consider the fallout from the Kenneth Starr report delivered to Congress. What next? What will happen with the President and Congress?

Well, this is how I see it. First, we have to start with the assumption that the President will not resign. Lots of people have called for him to resign. He won't. There are lots of reasons for that. But the most significant one is that he (and perhaps his wife) would probably be indicted by Kenneth Starr. He will remain as President.

Second, the president probably won't be impeached, but even if he is he won't be convicted. Now let me explain. The House of Representatives has the sole power of impeachment. They can impeach the president by a majority vote. Then the articles of impeachment are sent to the Senate where Chief Justice William Rehnquist would preside over a trial. If two-thirds of the senators vote to "convict" the president, then he is removed from office.

I doubt that a majority of the House will vote to impeach the president, but it is possible. But I can say with much more certainty that there are not 67 votes in the Senate to "convict" the president and remove him from office.

So what does that leave? It leaves the likely possibility that the Congress may vote to censure the president. I believe that is quite likely. Will it hurt the president? Well, pull out a $20 bill and look at the president on it. He was censured by the Congress. It didn't seem to hurt him very much.

The President won't resign and he probably won't be impeached. Congress may censure him, but that's about all I think will happen.

I'm Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries, and that's my opinion.

© 1998 Probe Ministries International