The debate on impeaching President Clinton, which was postponed because of the air strikes on Iraq, is now expected to take place today and tomorrow. The air strikes against Iraq are expected to continue during some of that time. However, opposition from Democrats could still succeed in further postponing the debate.
President Clinton said yesterday that it was up to the Republican leaders to "decide how to do their job" on bringing the impeachment debate before the House of Representatives.
The likelihood of Mr Clinton being impeached on one or more of the four charges against him increased as more so-called moderate Republicans announced they would vote for impeachment. The votes on the four articles of impeachment are expected tomorrow after a late night sitting of the House. If one or more of the articles charging perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power are approved, the Senate has the task of holding a trial of Mr Clinton sometime next year.
The House of Representatives yesterday voted overwhelmingly to support US forces involved in the strikes against Iraq. This replaced the impeachment debate which had been fixed originally for the same time.
The Democratic leadership has opposed having the impeachment debate while the air strikes are still continuing.
The Democratic leader in the House, Mr Dick Gephardt, told an anti-impeachment rally on Capitol Hill that it was "wrong, wrong, wrong" to have a debate on how to remove the President while 24,000 young American men and women were risking their lives in the Middle East.
Mr David Bonior, the number two Democrat in the House said: "We would look down upon any activity by this body to go forward with impeachment while American men and women are engaged in armed conflict."
A Republican member, Ms Tillie Flower, said the impeachment debate and votes would not further weaken the President during the military action against Iraq. "I don't think he'll be any more weakened than he is now. I think he is a crippled, weakened President," she said.
The outgoing Speaker, Mr Newt Gingrich, said that "The United States can both govern itself and lead the world simultaneously." AFP adds:
Most Americans are convinced the House of Representatives will vote to impeach President Clinton, but that he will survive a trial by the Senate.
Sixty-seven per cent of respondents to a Washington Post/ABC television poll believe the House of Representatives will vote to send Mr Clinton on to trial in the Senate. Thirty per cent think a motion to impeach Mr Clinton will be defeated.
While 57 per cent said a censure resolution would be the appropriate sanction for Mr Clinton's improper behaviour, 36 per cent felt he should leave the White House.