Who approves impeachment?

Under the US Constitution, the House of Representatives approves impeachment by voting to bring specific charges against the President or any other federal officeholder. Once the impeachment is approved by the House, the Senate hears the charges and votes on whether the charges are proved or not. Although the term "impeachment" has been mistakenly understood to mean complete removal from office, impeachment is actually just the formal charging by the House not the ultimate trial on the charges. State impeachment processes are generally similar, but there may be differences depending how their individual constitutions and laws are written.