The House of Representatives is expected to vote this afternoon on an Article of Impeachment for President Trump. If Trump is impeached on that Article, the process would then move to the U.S. Senate, but that’s only if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer agree that it’s an emergency, which would force the Senate to reconvene. However, Sen. McConnell reportedly doesn’t agree that it’s an emergency.
Democrats won’t like this at all:
NEW: Senate Majority Leader McConnell will not agree to reconvene the US Senate before Jan. 19, spokesperson says, meaning a Senate impeachment trial would likely not begin until after President Trump has left office.
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 13, 2021
NEWS —> McConnell’s office called Schumer’s people today + told them McConnell would not consent to reconvening immediately under the 2004 emergency authorities, a person familiar says. So the Senate won’t reconvene Friday, or almost certainly before Jan. 19. Trial in Biden term
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) January 13, 2021
NEW: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that McConnell would not consent to reconvene the Senate before President-elect Biden takes office — all but ensuring President Trump's impeachment trial won't begin until after he leaves office.
— NPR (@NPR) January 13, 2021
If that holds, will the Senate still move forward with a trial after Trump has left office?
It’s also worth noting that Axios previously reported that McConnell was “leaning toward” voting to convict Trump in a Senate trial. Perhaps that will still happen, but if it does it might not be until after Inauguration Day. Stay tuned.
