Expunging the December 18, 2019, impeachment of President Donald John Trump.
- Bill Number
- H.Res. 24
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-01-09: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2025-04-09T08:06:15Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This House Resolution (H. Res. 24) aims to formally expunge, or erase from the record, the impeachment of President Donald John Trump that occurred on December 18, 2019. It declares that the impeachment was based on wrongful accusations that did not meet the constitutional standard for "high Crimes and Misdemeanors."
Key Provisions
- Whereas Clause: States that Trump was wrongly accused of misconduct in House Resolution 755 (the original impeachment resolution), citing new information from an unclassified FD-1023 FBI document (a form used by the FBI to report potential tips or leads on criminal activity).
- Resolved Clause: Declares the 2019 impeachment expunged, treating it as if the Articles of Impeachment had never passed the full House of Representatives. It argues that the underlying facts failed to prove "high Crimes and Misdemeanors," as required by Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution (which outlines the grounds for impeaching federal officials).
The resolution was introduced on January 9, 2025, by Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and several co-sponsors, and referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- This resolution does not amend statutes or create new laws but seeks to retroactively nullify a prior congressional action (the 2019 impeachment).
- If adopted, it would symbolically reverse the House's 2019 vote on the Articles of Impeachment, altering the official congressional record without affecting the Senate's acquittal or any related court proceedings.
- It introduces no binding legal changes, as House resolutions are internal procedural measures and not enforceable law.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Could influence how the House Clerk maintains historical records of impeachments, potentially requiring updates to official documents or databases. It might set a precedent for future resolutions challenging past congressional actions.
- On Citizens: Minimal direct impact, but it could affect public perception of historical events, educational materials, and Trump's political legacy, influencing voter views in elections.
- On International Relations: Negligible, as this is a domestic political matter with no foreign policy elements.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Congress (House of Representatives): Directly involved, as the resolution targets a prior House action; adoption would require a majority vote.
- Former President Donald J. Trump: Primary beneficiary, as it aims to clear his record of the 2019 impeachment.
- Political Parties and Lawmakers: Republicans (sponsors) may use it for political messaging; Democrats and opponents could view it as an attempt to rewrite history.
- Historians and the Public: Indirectly affected through changes to the official narrative of U.S. political events.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Impeachments are political processes, not criminal trials, so expungement would not erase any related investigations or legal consequences (e.g., no convictions occurred). It relies on referencing an FBI document but does not introduce new evidence in a judicial sense.
- Constitutional: Challenges the finality of impeachment proceedings under Article I (which governs congressional impeachment powers) by asserting that the original vote did not meet Article II's standards. This could raise questions about Congress's authority to retroactively invalidate its own actions.
- Political: Represents a partisan effort to rehabilitate Trump's image ahead of potential future elections; it highlights ongoing divisions over the 2019 impeachment (related to Ukraine aid and election interference allegations) and could fuel debates on accountability for past presidents. If passed, it might encourage similar resolutions for other historical actions, politicizing congressional records.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Greene, Marjorie Taylor [R-GA-14]
Cosponsors (11)
Rep. Miller, Mary E. [R-IL-15], Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14], Rep. Collins, Mike [R-GA-10], Rep. Crane, Elijah [R-AZ-2], Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11], Del. Moylan, James C. [R-GU], Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22], Rep. Luna, Anna Paulina [R-FL-13], Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2], Rep. Harshbarger, Diana [R-TN-1], Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]
Recent Actions
- 2025-01-09: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-01-09: Submitted in House
- 2025-01-09: Submitted in House
Bill Versions
- Expunging the December 18, 2019, impeachment of President Donald John Trump. — issued 2025-01-09 — PDF (2 pages)