This is not about when to start impeaching. This is not even about if there is going to be impeachment. This is about how to do it if you want it to happen.
- Consider all the different issues as separate. For example, one committee may be concerned with emoluments, another with foreign contacts, and so on. Each of these should be pursued separately by relevant committees.
- In cases where there is already evidence of impeachable offenses:
- Craft a resolution of articles of impeachment.
- Debate for 1-3 days.
- When you determine you need more information, someone moves to table the resolution in order to pursue that information. These tabling motions can have a timeline for when the resolution will be reconsidered, based on what information does or does not come back. The press loves dates. E.g. the emoluments investigation may want to get actual numbers or reliable estimates for the amount of the self-dealing and conflict-of-interest money and benefits.
- If you have sufficient information, but other important articles are in process, someone moves to table the resolution in order to give those other articles time to be developed. E.g. say you have sufficiently proved sexual assault but judiciary is working on obstruction of congress articles, someone moves to table the assault resolution to wait for judiciary to craft their articles on obstruction.
- The point of this is to eventually vote on the whole expected set together. They can be sent over to the Senate separately — and if some mistake or issue makes it come to that, don’t be shy, keep sending them — HOWEVER, the plan is to have everything we know “now” (near future) together in one impeachment resolution for trial in the Senate.
- In cases where there is not enough evidence, do regular congressional oversight/investigation. If something develops, go back to step 2.
- When you have a “complete” set, debate and vote on them in series. Create a resolution “to impeach” with no articles and then consider each of the tabled impeachment resolutions as amendments. Note, you can always table again if the debate gets to the point where you don’t have the votes, or there is a reasonable request for more information, et cetera.
The benefits:
- Each violation is separate. When each one is proposed and debated, there will be some coverage and the press will have a chance to ask (pressure) representatives to take a position, on a focused issue out of the whole chaotic mess.
- The tabled resolutions are like a loaded crossbow, ready to fire. Don’t knock my hand. I’m holding a crossbow.
- Trump will obsess over them, helping to spread knowledge of them. Remember it’s the question, not the answer, that manufactures consent. (google “manufacturing consent”)
- This allows a process of debate on various issues, in congress but also in public. In other words, this is the proper parliamentary way to deal with such a diverse set of constitutional violations and moral violations, while also getting public reaction as it proceeds.