Pelosi plans to send impeachment articles to Senate next week

Washington (AFP) – US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday she intends to transmit articles of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate next week, ending a taut standoff with Republicans over terms of the president’s 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 said in a letter to her Democratic caucus.

“I will be consulting with you at our Tuesday House Democratic Caucus meeting on how we proceed further.” 

Pelosi has withheld the articles since Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives on December 18 for abuse of power for pressuring Ukraine to investigate his possible 2020 election rival Joe Biden; and for obstructing the subsequent congressional probe.

The top Democrat in Congress had hoped Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, of Trump’s Republican Party, would provide assurances of what she described as a “fair” trial in which Democrats can subpoena witnesses and documents.

But McConnell, like Pelosi a master political strategist, refused to budge, and announced Tuesday that he had a sufficient number of Republican votes to conduct a trial without acceding to Democratic demands.

For weeks Pelosi left Democrats and Republicans alike guessing what and when her next move would be.

Democrats argue that her delay allowed dramatic new information to emerge before the trial, including Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton announcing on Monday that he was prepared to testify before the Senate if subpoenaed.

But as Democrats mulled what further benefits, if any, there were to further delay the trial, Pelosi came under increasing pressure to send the charges to the Senate.

“Clearly, Leader McConnell does not want to present witnesses and documents to Senators and the American people so they can make an independent judgment about the president’s actions,” Pelosi said in her letter.

“Every Senator now faces a choice: to be loyal to the President or the Constitution.”

Some Republicans saw Pelosi’s announcement as a sign she had backed down in the staring contest with McConnell.

“After a week of strong pressure… Pelosi caves,” tweeted Republican Senator Josh Hawley.