Final answer:
President Bill Clinton was impeached by the House but acquitted by the Senate on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice during his affair with Monica Lewinsky. The Senate votes did not reach the two-thirds majority required for a conviction, thus Clinton completed his term.
Step-by-step explanation:
During President Bill Clinton's term, he faced impeachment charges by the House of Representatives and subsequent trial in the Senate. The charges were based on accusations of perjury and obstruction of justice related to his extramarital affair with Monica Lewinsky. The House, with a majority of Republicans, voted to impeach, deeming the affair and Clinton’s denial of it to be an impeachable offense. However, Democrats disagreed and felt a censure would suffice. Senate trial proceedings were highly partisan, and in the end, the Senate votes of forty-five to fifty-five for the perjury charge and fifty-fifty for obstruction of justice were insufficient for a conviction, which requires a two-thirds majority. Despite the controversy, Clinton was acquitted of both charges.
Looking at this from a historical perspective, Clinton's trial illustrates how rare presidential impeachment and removal are. It also shows the intricate balance of powers within the U.S. government and how impeachment plays a role in this system. The Senate impeachment trial of President Clinton highlights the potential for such proceedings to occur in an increasingly partisan political climate.