Andrew Jackson censured by the United States Senate

Background. Political conflict arose over President Andrew Jackson's opposition to the Second Bank of the United States. After vetoing a recharter bill in 1832, Jackson ordered federal deposits withdrawn in 1833, dismissing the Secretary of the Treasury. This action caused significant controversy. When Congress reconvened in December 1833, Henry Clay introduced a two-part resolution directed at Jackson's conduct, setting the stage for the Senate's formal censure.

Constitutional Authority. The Constitution does not explicitly provide for presidential censure, nor does it use the term. Article One permits each chamber to punish its own members, but nothing explicitly outlines the ability to censure individuals outside that chamber. Despite this, the Senate adopted rules permitting censure, which voices condemnation without consequences like expulsion. This action remains the clearest case of presidential censure by resolution in either chamber of Congress.

Expungement and Legacy. Jackson protested the censure as unconstitutional, claiming the Senate acted beyond its authority. The censure remained on the record until 1837, when a Democratic majority voted to expunge it. Historians still regard Jackson as censured. The event remains the only explicit presidential censure resolution, and in the early 2020s the expungement vote was cited by supporters of an effort to expunge the impeachments of Donald Trump as a supporting precedent.