How Long Can Pelisi Hold Back the Artivkes From the Senate
(CNN)House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would not commit on Wednesday to sending the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Republican-held Senate, a surprise move that injects new uncertainty into Congress' timeline of the President'due south trial in the chamber.
"That would have been our intention, simply we'll see what happens over there," Pelosi said at a post-impeachment vote news conference Wednesday nighttime when asked about sending over the articles.
Some progressives have urged Democratic leaders to withhold the articles until Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, agrees to the parameters for the Senate trial that Democrats take chosen for, likewise every bit agreeing to bring in firsthand witnesses similar acting White House main of staff Mick Mulvaney to evidence.
On Thursday morning, Pelosi used her weekly news briefing to express her business organization over having a fair trial in the Senate, saying while the Founding Fathers had predictable the possibility of a rogue President, "I don't think they suspected that nosotros could have a rogue president and a rogue leader in the Senate at the aforementioned fourth dimension."
"The next matter for u.s.a. will be when we run across the process that is set forth in the Senate, so nosotros'll know the number of managers that we may have to become forward and who we will cull," Pelosi said. "That'southward what I said last dark, that'southward what I'm maxim now."
While Pelosi's comments create a new level of confusion to the impeachment process and timeline, information technology'south unclear what the specific advantages there would be to withholding to the articles of impeachment from a Senate trial. Republicans fence there is no do good in delaying something they don't want to spend fourth dimension on anyway. When McConnell was asked this week about articles not being sent over, he told reporters, "I'm in no hurry."
Only Pelosi'southward comments have also angered some Republicans in the Senate. GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said Thursday he was outraged. "What they're proposing -- to not transport the articles for disposition to the Senate after being passed to the Business firm -- is incredibly unsafe," he said.
"This is a land -- uncharted waters, constitutionally," Graham told reporters. "I just know this, that this matters to the futurity of the country. We cannot have a system where the House impeaches the president, tells the Senate how to conduct the trial, holds the articles of impeachment over the president's head at a fourth dimension of their choosing to unleash them."
McConnell has openly sparred with his Democratic counterpart, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, over the format of the Senate trial. Earlier this week, McConnell rejected Schumer's telephone call for four witnesses to testify. On the Senate flooring Thursday morning, McConnell described Pelosi'south delay in sending the manufactures of impeachment to the Senate as a sign that "House Democrats may exist too afraid to fifty-fifty transmit their shoddy work product to the Senate."
'As long as it takes'
Pelosi said Wednesday night that House Democrats will make the decision "equally a group" on when to send the articles to the Senate.
Business firm Bulk Whip James Clyburn said Thursday that he is in favor of withholding the articles "until we tin can go some assurances from (McConnell) that he is going to allow for a fair and impartial trial to take place."
Asked past CNN's John Berman on "New Day" how long he is willing to wait for that assurance, the Southward Carolina Democrat replied: "As long every bit it takes. Fifty-fifty if he doesn't come up around to committing to a fair trial, go along those manufactures hither."
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat whose committee authored the articles, said that they "need to be sent in due grade."
When asked Thursday morning if the manufactures should exist held forever, Nadler told CNN, "I would dubiousness that. Beyond that, I don't know."
Impeachment managers
The outcome did not come up up extensively at a airtight-door caucus meeting Thursday morning among Firm Democrats, according to multiple attendees, and several members said they demand to know the parameters of the Senate trial before picking impeachment managers for the Senate trial, because they may need different skill-sets
There are procedural concerns behind non sending the articles to the Senate on Midweek nighttime immediately subsequently the vote. Amidst them: Democrats can't send the articles Midweek night because the Senate would have to accept it up Thursday, blocking votes on two spending packages that must pass earlier week's end to avoid a authorities shutdown.
In the coming days, the House must also name impeachment managers for the Senate'southward trial, another step Pelosi was non ready to make Wednesday night.
"Nosotros cannot proper noun managers until we see what the process is on the Senate side, and nosotros promise that will exist presently," Pelosi said. "So far we haven't seen annihilation that looks fair to usa, and so hopefully it will be fair."
This story has been updated with boosted developments Thursday.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/18/politics/nancy-pelosi-sending-impeachment-articles-senate/index.html
0 Response to "How Long Can Pelisi Hold Back the Artivkes From the Senate"
Post a Comment