A call for Impeachment

The Vermont Senate has just passed a call for the impeachment of the President, by a 16-5 margin. The Vermont House has yet to vote on the matter (although, as the article notes, there have been many calls to bring it to a vote).

I have no idea if the matter will ever be brought to a vote by the Vermont House. However, if it is it wouldn't be surprising if the vote passed there. If so, then what?

I have no real understanding of Parliamentary procedure. However, the relevant part of Jefferson's Manual can be found here. If you look in the section labeled [ [ page 303 ] ] it notes impeachment proceedings can be set in motion "... by charges transmitted from the legislature of a state; ... ".

If this occurs, it looks to me (on a cursory reading ... and I am most assuredly NOT an expert) that the House of Representatives is then forced to at least consider the charges. This might mean considering them immediately, it might mean referring them to committee for investigation, but it doesn't look like the impeachment call can be ignored.

Things could become interesting. I don't really expect to see a call for impeachment occur, but there is certain to be pressure brought (in forms of emails, phone calls, etc.) to members of the Vermont House to bring this to a vote ... and President Bush now stands just one vote away, by a body which possesses a significant Democratic majority, from facing an impeachment investigation.

Note: Were this scenario to play out, it looks like it would be nearly unprecedented. This site looks has a listing of "Impeachment Efforts against Executive Branch Officials". If you look at item 58 it mentions proceedings initiated against Federal Judge Charles H. Swayne in 1903 as a result of a request originating with the Florida legislature. It's the only precedent I see in the list.

Swayne was eventually acquitted on all charges.