Pelosi Plans To Send Articles Of Impeachment To Senate Next Week

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) told lawmakers Friday that she plans to send the two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate next week.

She did not specify who would manage the case, but said the House will appoint the managers next week and will then deliver the articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress to the Senate for a trial, marking the start of the third presidential impeachment trial.

“I have asked Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler to be prepared to bring to the floor next week a resolution to appoint managers and transmit articles of impeachment to the Senate,” Pelosi wrote in a letter. “I will be consulting with you at our Tuesday House Democratic Caucus meeting on how we proceed further.”

The articles were unexpectedly delayed by Pelosi who said she was waiting to ensure the trial would be fair. However, she was criticized by both Democrats and Republicans for withholding them seemingly indefinitely.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) told reporters it was “about time,” as the House impeached Trump over three weeks ago, on Dec. 18.

McConnell has not announced his proposed rules for the trial, but said they would be modeled after Bill Clinton‘s rules.

The resolution followed during the Clinton trial delays calling witnesses or new evidence until the middle of the trial, after senators are sworn in, opening arguments on both sides have been presented and senators have a chance to ask written questions. Those rules would also not guarantee that new evidence would be included.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said Democrats “would do everything we can to see that the truth comes out.”

The GOP holds a majority in the Senate, so four Republican senators would have to cross party lines in order to call any new witnesses, like former National Security Advisor John Bolton.

Bolton has indicated that he would comply with a congressional subpoena. He likely would provide insight about direct communications regarding Ukraine with the President that was unavailable to House impeachment investigators.