IMPEACHED & WAITING
Democrats dodge questions about when impeachment trial will begin. If they are successful, Trump wouldn’t be the first convicted after leaving office.
WASHINGTON • U.S. House of representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday sidestepped a question about when President donald Trump would face his second impeachment trial, on a charge of inciting his supporters to attack the Capitol.
The House on Wednesday approved one article of impeachment, similar to an indictment, levying that charge against Trump. But Pelosi would not say when she would send the article to the Senate, the step that triggers a trial.
“you’ll be the first to know,” Pelosi told reporters.
Congressional democrats have been grappling with how to balance the impeachment of Trump — which will continue after his term ends and could lead to him being banned from running office again — with other Senate priorities including confirming cabinet nominees and other priorities of President-elect Joe Biden, who takes office Wednesday.
Pelosi said lawmakers are working on legislation to deliver economic relief to Americans hurt by the coronavirus pandemic following a us$1.9-trillion package laid out by Biden. “This is a matter of complete urgency,” Pelosi said of the vaccine distribution that is part of Biden’s proposal. “Now we have to move on and do it in the right way, and that will require resources, which will require legislation.”
The democratic-led House voted 232-197 on Wednesday to impeach Trump one week after his supporters rampaged in the Capitol following a speech in which the outgoing republican president urged them to fight democrat Biden’s Nov. 3 election victory.
Trump falsely claims he lost because of widespread voting fraud. He will likely be the first president to face an impeachment trial after leaving office.
Ten republicans joined democrats in supporting impeachment.
According to Senate rules, the trial would start the day after the charge is sent over by the House. The last time the House voted to impeach Trump, in december 2019, Pelosi did not transmit the charges to the Senate for weeks. The Senate is scheduled to return to Washington on Tuesday, the day before Biden’s inauguration.