Senate Democrats hope to conduct President TrumpDonald TrumpEx-Trump lawyer Cohen to pen forward for impeachment bookMurkowski says it would be ‘appropriate’ to bar Trump from holding office againMan known as ‘QAnon Shaman’ asks Trump for pardon after storming CapitolMOREs impeachment trial as swiftly as possible to avoid slowing the start of President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenConfirmation hearing for Biden’s DNI pick postponedBiden’s Sunday inauguration rehearsal postponed due to security concerns: reportMurkowski says it would be ‘appropriate’ to bar Trump from holding office againMOREs new administration, but Republicans have yet to show they will cooperate.
Senate Democrats are discussing the possibility of holding regular business on the floor before the chamber convenes the impeachment trial at noon or 1 p.m. each day, which would give them a chance to consider essential business such as a service waiver for Lloyd AustinLloyd AustinOvernight Defense: Pentagon watchdog to probe extremism in US military | FBI chief warns of ‘online chatter’ ahead of inauguration | House conservative bloc opposes Austin waiverConservative caucus opposes waiver for Biden’s Pentagon pickThe Hill’s Morning Report – How many Republicans will vote for Trump’s impeachment?MORE, Bidens choice to head the Defense Department, before the end of the trial.
Democrats want to move ahead with Bidens agenda during the trial, which could last days. Failing that, theres discussion about working around the clock, according to one Democratic aide, to complete the trial in a matter of days.
Sen. Bob CaseyRobert (Bob) Patrick CaseyCapitol Police officer hailed as hero for drawing rioters away from Senate chamberScranton dedicates ‘Joe Biden Way’ to honor president-elect Grassley tests positive for coronavirusMORE (D-Pa.) told MSNBC in an interview Thursday that the Senate could do so if needed to conduct a trial and legislate, echoing what Senate Democratic Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerNikki Haley unveils PAC ahead of possible 2024 White House bidTrump calls for ‘NO violence’ amid concerns of threats around inaugurationAmazon cites death threats in push to keep Parler offlineMORE (N.Y.) has said.
Sen. Kirsten GillibrandKirsten GillibrandWith Senate at stake, Georgia is on all our mindsBuild trust in vaccines by investing in community workersMSNBC’s Ruhle challenges Sanders on push for ,200 stimulus checks MORE (D-N.Y.) said Thursday that Democrats dont see the need to spend a lot of time on Trumps impeachment trial once he leaves office.
This is a very simple allegation. It is incitement to insurrection. We could conduct a trial in a very short amount of time because the evidence thats needed is pretty direct, Gillibrand told anchor Andrea Mitchell.
Its President Trumps own statements, it is how the violent mob reacted to those statements and that is the presentation of the case, she added. We could conduct a trial in a very, relatively, short time. This article of impeachment is nothing like the previous articles of impeachment, which were highly complex, relied on multiple witnesses, multiple documents.
Gillibrand said the Senate could operate on a dual track if granted approval by the parliamentarian.
We also could if given the okay from the parliamentarian, conduct the trial at the same time we are putting through President Bidens nominees for his Cabinet and for his government, she said. We could do both things at the same time. We could also be able to pass a very large COVID relief package in the immediate days.
We could even address the impeachment trial after a few legislative days on President Bidens most urgent priorities, which would include, of courses, money going to the cities and the states, she said.
Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiTrump seeks to freeze .4 billion of programs in final week of presidency Dozens on FBI’s terrorist watchlist were in DC day of Capitol riotPorter loses seat on House panel overseeing financial sectorMORE (D-Calif.) hasnt announced how long she plans to keep the article of impeachment in the House, which would delay the start of a Senate trial. That decision will be made in conjunction with Biden and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Some Democratic senators are floating the idea of splitting each day into six hours of legislative business and six hours of an impeachment trial.
Schumer is trying to hammer out a resolution to establish the procedures of the trial with outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump seeks to freeze .4 billion of programs in final week of presidency McConnell about to school Trump on political power for the last timeMurkowski blasts Trump’s election claims, calls House impeachment appropriateMORE (R-Ky.).
Schumer will become the new majority leader after Biden is sworn into office and the two Democratic winners of the runoff races in Georgia are certified. He needs 51 votes to pass a resolution establishing any procedures for the trial not already set forth in the Senate impeachment rules.
Senate Democratic Whip Dick DurbinDick DurbinSchumer says Democrats will probe extremist groups after Capitol attackTrump’s legacy is discord and divisionSchumer calls for 25th Amendment to be invoked after Capitol riotsMORE (Ill.) on Thursday said McConnell hasnt agreed to anything yet.
I called Chuck SchumerChuck SchumerNikki Haley unveils PAC ahead of possible 2024 White House bidTrump calls for ‘NO violence’ amid concerns of threats around inaugurationAmazon cites death threats in push to keep Parler offlineMORE this morning. Theres been no exchange or conversation with Sen. McConnell about setting a specific time to begin the trial, Durbin said on NBCs Meet The Press Daily.
A spokesman for Schumer said, We are working with Republicans to try to find a path forward.
McConnell announced Wednesday that he will not agree to convene the Senate before it is scheduled to return from a recess on Jan. 19, which would be the soonest that the House impeachment managers could present the charges against Trump to the Senate.
McConnell noted in a public statement that impeachment trials usually take weeks.
Given the rules, procedures, and Senate precedents that govern presidential impeachment trials, there is simply no chance that a fair or serious trial could conclude before President-elect Biden is sworn in next week, he said.
The GOP leader pointed out that the Senate has held three presidential impeachment trials in its histories. They have lasted 83 days, 37 days, and 21 days, respectively.
Under the Senates rules of impeachment, the legislative and executive business of the Senate shall be suspended at 12:30 p.m., a half hour before when the first day of the Senate trial begins. Subsequent days of the trial are to begin a noon under the Senate’s impeachment rules although that time can be changed by consent.Â
The Senate didnt vote on any regular business after the chamber convened to hold Trumps first impeachment trial on Jan. 16 of last year. On that day, senators received the House impeachment managers at noon and then proceeded to consider the articles of impeachment at 2 p.m.
Rule 13 of the procedures and practices of the Senate when sitting on impeachment trials states that the trial should begin each day at noon or another time agreed to by all members of the body but that once the presiding officer announces the adjournment of the trial at the end of the day, that shall not serve as the adjournment of the Senate and the chamber shall resume the consideration of its legislative and executive business.
Thats giving some Democratic senators hope that they will be able to process a waiver for Austin and advance the nominations of other Biden Cabinet picks while the Senate is not sitting in trial.
But getting senators to focus on regular business in the midst of an impeachment trial is a tall order and wasnt attempted by Republicans when they controlled the chamber last year.
Once Trumps first trial began a year ago, the only votes the Senate held were on procedural questions related to the trial until the president was acquitted in two final votes on the articles themselves.
A Democratic official said Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is not expected to preside over the trial since Trump will be out of office once the Senate begins consideration of the article of impeachment, which McConnell says cannot begin before 1 p.m. on Jan. 20.
