USA TODAY International Edition
House Democrats hope to surmount long odds in Senate
WASHINGTON – Democrats in the House of Representatives launched the impeachment inquiry, conducted marathon hearings, gathered crucial evidence and approved two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.
But their colleagues in the Senate will have to wage an uphill battle to convict and remove him from office. The Democrats, who have a 47- 53 disadvantage in the Senate, must remain united and convince at least 20 GOP senators to vote with them to get the 67 votes required to oust Trump. Such an effort is made possible by a few lawmakers.
All 100 senators will hear from a group of House Democrats who are appointed “House managers.” The managers basically act as prosecutors and have not been announced. They will present the case for impeachment before the Senate as the president and his counsel offer a defense.
During the last impeachment trial in 1998, there were 13 House Republicans selected as managers to prosecute the case before the Senate.
Here's a look at some of the Democrats who will probably take the case to the Senate and some senators with a lot to consider before voting on impeachment:
Rep. Adam Schiff, D- Calif.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff led the Ukraine investigation that resulted in the two articles of impeachment.
For weeks, more than a dozen witnesses testified behind closed doors, then he held a series of public hearings where many of those witnesses outlined the alleged scheme: Trump aimed to get Ukraine to investigate one of his political rivals while military aid and a White House meeting for Ukraine’s president were held up.
A former federal prosecutor, Schiff played a crucial role as a House leader in keeping the caucus united and informed as they moved forward on impeachment. He is likely to be tapped as one of the House managers.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D- N. Y.
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler took the baton once the House Intelligence Committee finished its Ukraine investigation.
Nadler was the lawmaker tasked with officially announcing both articles of impeachment, and his panel approved the articles before they were sent to the House for a full vote.
During the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton, only members of the House Judiciary Committee were made House managers. Nadler is likely to be tapped as one of the lawmakers to prosecute the case before the Senate.
Sen. Doug Jones, D- Ala.
Sen. Doug Jones’ win in 2017 was considered miraculous in deep- red Alabama. He is working to defend his seat in 2020 and faces a challenger in Jeff Sessions, who held the seat before serving as Trump’s attorney general.
The Cook Political Report rates Jones’ Senate seat as a “toss- up,” the lone one for Democrats in 2020, meaning Jones’ votes on impeachment may affect the race.
Jones has remained fairly neutral on impeachment, saying he takes his role as a juror in the trial seriously. “Making up my mind now would be totally inappropriate, I think,” he told a CBS station Monday.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D- W. Va.
Sen. Joe Manchin may be the most likely Democrat to defect in the Senate impeachment trial. The moderate West Virginia senator, who was the lone Democrat to vote for Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court in 2018, expressed some discontent over the proceedings against the president.
“There are a lot of things at stake here. The future of our country. And the future of how we’re able to do our business depends on how we handle this,” Manchin told CNN. “I’m very much torn on it. I think it weighs on everybody.”
Unlike Jones, Manchin is not defending his seat in 2020.