The House of Representatives voted on September 15, 2026, to table an impeachment resolution against President Donald Trump filed by Rep. Al Green, a Texas Democrat. The vote was 232–147, with 47 members voting present. The action stopped this resolution from advancing at that time.
Green filed H.Res. 1486 on August 24. The resolution accused Trump of abusing presidential power in connection with federal immigration enforcement. Those are allegations made in the resolution, not findings by a court or a determination that Trump committed an impeachable offense.
The vote has renewed a broader political debate: Does voting against an impeachment effort violate a lawmaker’s oath to support the Constitution? The Constitution requires members of Congress to take an oath, and it gives the House the power to impeach. But the question of whether a particular vote violates that oath is a matter of political and legal interpretation, not something settled by the vote itself.
What Green’s Resolution Alleged
H.Res. 1486 accused the president of allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection to operate in ways Green said violated constitutional rights and undermined judicial oversight. These claims were part of the resolution’s argument for impeachment. They should not be presented as proven facts.
Introducing an impeachment resolution is a formal step, but it does not itself impeach or remove a president. The House must approve articles of impeachment for a president to be impeached. The Senate then holds a trial, and conviction requires a two-thirds vote of senators present.
How the House Voted
The House Clerk’s official roll call records the September 15 action as a motion to table the resolution. The motion passed, with 232 voting in favor and 147 against; 47 members voted present. “Table” means the House set the measure aside, preventing it from moving forward through that action.
The vote tally does not, on its own, show that members agreed with or rejected every allegation in the resolution. Nor does it determine whether Trump’s conduct met the constitutional standard for impeachment. Members may support or oppose a resolution for different reasons, including their view of the evidence, the allegations, or the process.
What the Constitution Says About Impeachment
The Constitution says the House has the “sole Power of Impeachment” and that the Senate has the “sole Power to try all Impeachments.” It states that a president may be removed after impeachment and conviction for “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
Article VI also requires members of Congress to be bound by an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution. That obligation is real, but the text does not say that lawmakers must vote for impeachment whenever an accusation is made. The Constitution assigns impeachment powers to Congress; it does not provide a simple rule that equates a vote against a specific resolution with a breach of the oath.
A Political Question, Not a Finding
Critics of the House vote may argue that lawmakers have a duty to investigate serious allegations and hold the executive branch accountable. Others may argue that impeachment should depend on the evidence and constitutional standard in each case, and that opposition to a president or policy alone is not enough.
Those are competing political arguments. The September 15 vote did not resolve them, and it was not a court ruling on whether the allegations were true or whether members violated their oath. Green’s resolution was tabled, and no Senate trial on this resolution followed from that House action.
Readers can weigh in on the question, but their responses would represent participants in this website’s poll, not a scientific survey of the public.
What Happens Next
The House Clerk’s record shows the motion to table H.Res. 1486 passed on September 15. The resolution did not advance through that vote. Any further action would require a new step in Congress.
