McConnell and Schumer have yet to negotiate an agreement on the trial.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that the Senate would not hold an impeachment trial before the Christmas recess, despite a push from the White House for the chamber to take it up immediately.
“What is not possible obviously would be to turn to an impeachment trial or to do [the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement] in the Senate before we break for Christmas,” McConnell told reporters, while outlining the Senate’s agenda for the rest of the year.
McConnell’s comments come after senators from both parties said Monday that they did not plan to ruin the holidays by taking up impeachment immediately. House Democrats on Tuesday released articles of impeachment, alleging President Donald Trump abused his power by pressuring the Ukrainian government to investigate his political rivals. The House is expected to pass articles of impeachment next week, paving the way for the Senate to take up the impeachment trial.
McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have yet to negotiate an agreement that would govern the Senate impeachment trial. Schumer said Tuesday he is willing to speak to McConnell “as soon as he’s ready.”
McConnell said Tuesday that he would expect House impeachment managers to present their argument for why the Senate should convict Trump, and the president’s lawyers would then respond with their defense. After that, the Senate will have two choices, McConnell outlined.
“It could go down the path of calling witnesses and basically having another trial, or it could decide — and again 51 members could make that decision — that they’ve heard enough and believe they know what would happen and could move to vote on the two articles of impeachment,” McConnell explained.
The Kentucky Republican reiterated that he would be surprised if there were 67 senators — the two-thirds majority needed — to remove the president from office.
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate would not hold an impeachment trial before the Christmas recess, despite a push from the White House for the chamber to take it up immediately https://t.co/D3ehiCGvqy
— POLITICO (@politico) December 10, 2019
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