Under the direction of President John Adams, the Congress passed the Sedition Act of 1798, which made it a criminal offence to publish statements critical of the federal government. The first individual to be tried under the law was Rep. Matthew Lyon, who unsurprisingly had voted against its passage. Lyon was re-elected from jail.
Explore current and historical political parties, map party control, and learn about polarization.
Are you an academic or journalist interested in using NOMINATE data? Click here to download the data and learn how to use it.
The Senate voted to acquit former President Trump of charges of inciting the January 6th attack on congress. Although Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed that Trump was legally culpable for a "disgraceful dereliction of duty", he concluded that the Senate is unable to convict former officials. The Senate had previously held it has the power to do so.
The House impeached President Donald J. Trump for a second time, an unprecedented feat in U.S. history, on charges of fomenting insurrection
