House Republican Proposes Impeachment Resolution As GOP Nomination Drags On

As the Republican party’s presidential nomination process drags on, the negative ratings of the top candidates — Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum — has increased, possibly fatally wounding either of them for a matchup against President Obama.

Against that backdrop, House Republican member Walter B. Jones (NC) has introduced a resolution that would designate actions such as U.S. involvement in defending Libyan citizens as a “impeachable high crime and misdemeanor.”

“High crimes and misdemeanors” is a reference to section 4, article 2 of the U.S. Constitution defining the conditions under which a President can be removed from office via impeachment. Two U.S. presidents have officially been impeached — Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Both were acquitted in Senate trials. Richard Nixon would have likely been impeached and removed from office, but he resigned.

Jones’ resolution, H. CON. RES. 107, was introduced on Wednesday, March 7. It states:

Expressing the sense of Congress that the use of offensive military force by a President without prior and clear authorization of an Act of Congress constitutes an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor under article II, section 4 of the Constitution.

The resolution would classify efforts like the no-fly zone enforced by the American military over Libya that led to the eventual downfall of the Qaddafi regime as a “high crime.”

In a report to Congress, the Obama administration said the limited nature of U.S. involvement in Libya did not violate the War Powers Act. The War Powers Act requires military action to be terminated 60-90 days after notifying Congress, unless the legislature authorizes further action.

Grover Norquist, a top conservative leader with close ties to Republican leadership, has already threatened that he would support impeachment proceedings against President Obama if he won re-election and allowed tax cuts to expire.

Rep. Jones’ resolution has been referred to the House Judiciary committee.