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What next in Brazilian impeachment proceedings

FILE - In this Aug.21, 2015 file photo, Eduardo Cunha, president of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies, attends a meeting with union workers in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Impeachment proceedings were opened Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015, against Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff by the speaker of the lower house of Congress, a sworn enemy of the beleaguered leader. A special commission in which all political parties are represented must now weigh the decision of speaker Eduardo Cunha, who himself is facing corruption charges before the Supreme Court, to open the proceedings against Brazil's president based on accusations her government broke fiscal responsibility laws. Rousseff sharply disputes the accusations. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File)
FILE - In this Aug.21, 2015 file photo, Eduardo Cunha, president of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies, attends a meeting with union workers in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Impeachment proceedings were opened Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015, against Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff by the speaker of the lower house of Congress, a sworn enemy of the beleaguered leader. A special commission in which all political parties are represented must now weigh the decision of speaker Eduardo Cunha, who himself is facing corruption charges before the Supreme Court, to open the proceedings against Brazil's president based on accusations her government broke fiscal responsibility laws. Rousseff sharply disputes the accusations. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File) FILE - In this Aug.21, 2015 file photo, Eduardo Cunha, president of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies, attends a meeting with union workers in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Impeachment proceedings were opened Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015, against Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff by the speaker of the lower house of Congress, a sworn enemy of the beleaguered leader. A special commission in which all political parties are represented must now weigh the decision of speaker Eduardo Cunha, who himself is facing corruption charges before the Supreme Court, to open the proceedings against Brazil's president based on accusations her government broke fiscal responsibility laws. Rousseff sharply disputes the accusations. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File)

By Associated Press 1 min read

With the speaker of Brazil’s lower house of congress introducing impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff, here’s what comes next:

-A special commission of 66 members of the House of Deputies, with representatives from all political parties, will be formed to decide whether impeachment proceedings should go before the full lower house.

-If advanced by the commission, the impeachment measure would be debated and voted on by the House of Deputies.

-Impeachment would require support from two-thirds, or 342 members, of the lower house. If that happened, Rousseff would be replaced for six months by her vice president while the Senate considered whether she should be permanently removed as president.

-Permanent removal would require the support of two-thirds of senators.