Pelosi stoic as historic vote is tallied; Senate trial could be delayed
WASHINGTON — Some House members gave somber speeches about the prayerful deliberation they had gone through as they decided whether to make Donald Trump only the third president ever to be impeached.
Others voiced their anger, booed the other side and loudly cheered their own — a rare break from decorum, emblematic of the partisan fight over the Ukraine affair that has upended norms in American politics.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DSan Francisco, remained stoic throughout the House’s 12hour proceedings Wednesday, silencing a few Democrats who applauded when it
was clear Trump had been impeached. She largely avoided defections among her party. However, she failed to bring any Republicans along.
The GOP furiously denounced the process, echoing Trump himself as he lambasted Pelosi in a storm of tweets. Republicans equated it with historic injustices, with one saying Jesus got a fairer trial than Democrats afforded Trump.
And Pelosi ended the night by telling reporters that the House could delay sending the articles of impeachment to the GOPcontrolled Senate unless it promises “a fair trial.” That could put the entire process in limbo indefinitely and lead to an unprecedented legal showdown in Congress.
Here are four key takeaways from a historic day in the nation’s capital:
Senate trial could be delayed: Trump’s fate could soon be in the hands of the Senate. There is little doubt that Republicans will move swiftly to acquit him, but the timing of the trial is suddenly a mystery.
The Senate had expected to begin in early January. That was until Pelosi, DSan Francisco, cast doubt on the timeline Wednesday night, suggesting House Democrats could hold the articles to ensure a fair process.
“So far, we haven’t seen anything that looks fair to us,” she said, taking aim at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The Kentucky Republican has said he is “taking my cues” from the White House in devising rules for the trial.
“We will make our decision, as to when we’re going to send it, when we see what they’re doing on the Senate side,” Pelosi said.
McConnell has rejected Democrats’ demand that the Senate subpoena four Trump administration officials who defied House subpoenas to testify about the president’s withholding of military aid to Ukraine while he sought Kyiv’s announcement of investigations into Democrats. McConnell said Tuesday that the effort shows Democrats are “beginning to realize how dramatically insufficient the House’s rushed process has been.”
It’s unclear how long that standoff — and other disagreements about the rules — could delay a trial.
Pelosi’s next official move would be to appoint impeachment managers. They would act as prosecutors and argue Democrats’ case that Trump’s actions in the Ukraine affair violated the Constitution and pose an ongoing threat to national security.
She said she plans to delay those appointments: “We cannot name managers until we see what the process is on the
Senate side.”
When she does so, the team is expected to include the Democrats who led committee hearings on the impeachment inquiry, Reps. Adam Schiff of Burbank and Jerry Nadler of New York. It could also include two Bay Area Democrats who were part of those hearings, Dublin Rep. Eric Swalwell, a former Alameda County prosecutor, and San Jose Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a veteran of three impeachment inquiries.
Democrats always had the numbers: Despite the fanfare surrounding a few moderate Democrats who were reluctant to back impeachment, Pelosi didn’t fret the math. She and the rest of the Democratic leadership made little effort, at least publicly, to whip votes in the days ahead of the vote. In fact, she said lawmakers must “come to their own conclusions.”
Not that much convincing was needed: 216 votes were required to impeach Trump, a simple majority of the 431 members of the House. (Four seats are vacant.) Democrats crossed that threshold easily, as the House voted 230197 to approve article one, alleging that Trump abused his power; and 229198 to approve article two, alleging that he obstructed Congress’ investigation. Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who is running for president, voted “present” on both articles.
Democrats’ nearunity wasn’t surprising, but some party members had worried that more than a few defections could damage their case to the public. That didn’t materialize. Only Reps. Collin Peterson of Minnesota and Jerry Van Drew of New Jersey, who is expected to switch parties and become a Republican, voted against both articles. A third Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, voted against the obstruction article.
But the numbers weren’t entirely rosy for Democrats.
They failed to persuade any Republicans to vote to impeach Trump, although they did win over independent Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, who left the Republican Party this year. In all, this impeachment was more partisan than Bill Clinton’s. In 1998, five House Democrats voted for the two articles of impeachment against Clinton that were approved, while 12 Republicans voted against at least one of them. And bipartisan majorities rejected two other articles.
Expect Democrats to argue the rigid split this time speaks to growing partisanship over the last 20 years, while GOP lawmakers say it speaks to a weak Democratic case.
Pelosi’s ‘prayerful’ tone enrages Trump: Trump has frequently vented his anger about many facets of the Democrats’ inquiry, but little has irked him as much Pelosi’s statement that “I pray for the president all the time.”
“You are offending Americans of faith by continually saying ‘I pray for the President,’ when you know this statement is not true, unless it is meant in a negative sense,” Trump wrote Tuesday in an angry, sixpage letter to Pelosi.
Trump again appeared to mock Pelosi’s comment in a tweet Wednesday morning: “This should never happen to another President again. Say a PRAYER!”
Throughout the inquiry, Pelosi has kept a somber demeanor and frequently spoken about praying. She has urged Democratic lawmakers to consider their decision with a reflective spirit.
Pelosi evoked that sentiment Wednesday as she opened debate on the House floor, calling the chamber a “temple of democracy.” She told lawmakers to avoid gloating or gleeful expressions, and when the vote