How early can a person be impeached?

Question

How soon can an elected official be impeached? Hillary Clinton is ready to force a change to our immigration laws giving amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. Recent surveys have shown that approximately 86% (up a few points from last fall) are opposed to amnesty and any action that leads to amnesty for illegal aliens. Her "pay a fine, learn English, stay out of trouble and become legal" approach will give amnesty to criminals. Impeachment actions should start the day she makes ANY effort to change laws allowing amnesty in any form. Can that be done?

Answer 1

way to plan ahead.

Answer 2

The House can impeach an elected official at any time.

However, even if Sen. Clinton is elected, she cannot change laws on her own.  It would require the agreement of the House (who would be the people to vote on impeachment) and the Senate (who would be the people to try the impeachment).

Add in the fact that believing a law should be changed, and working within the system to bring that about is most definitely NOT an impeachable offense, and I don't think your wish would be granted.

Answer 3

The person facing impeachment has to have committed a high crime or misdemeanor while in office. The definition of what constitutes a high crime or misdemeanor is whatever 218 members of the House of Representatives say it is.

But, in your scenario, Senator Clinton would first have to gain the nomination of her party as their candidate for President, then gain 270 or more votes in the Electoral College in December. She would then be sworn into office on January 20th of next year at 12 Noon Washington time.

Any proposal she might make to amend or repeal existing law would be submitted to the Congress for its consideration. That is the branch of government which passes laws.

In short, she is not a "Federal Wizard Queen".

Answer 4

Technically, a president could be impeached as soon as they are guilty of "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors", and actions are started by the House Judiciary Committee, and then it is debated and put to a vote in the House, and if it has a simple majority passage, the president is considered to be impeached.  It would then go to the Senate, to decide whether or not the president should be removed from office.  

Bare minimum...  3 months for impeachment.

However, her support of amnesty programs would not be an impeachable offense.  Furthermore, in order to grant amnesty, it would have to go through Congress.  If amnesty passed, and then a president who supported it was impeached, then every other person who supported the bill would need to be impeached, too.  Now, if there is a majority to pass an amnesty bill, then there wouldn't be a majority to impeach the president and every person who voted for the bill.

Simplified:  It'll never happen.