President Biden’s message to Democratic Senate leaders on President Trump
Donald TrumpPalm Beach reviewing Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence Immigration reform can’t wait on money: five questions about the controversial GameStop | Biden and Yellen call for quick action on new aid MOREThe next impeachment trial is clear: be brief and don’t let that get in the way of your schedule.
Biden never accepted Trump’s second impeachment, although he did not seek to get in his way amid his party’s outrage over the former president’s involvement in the January 6 mafia attack on the Capitol.
However, he and his team have always been aware of the risks of a trial so early in his term, as he seeks to win a deal for a $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.
It is also clearer now that it was two weeks ago that the impeachment will not end with Trump’s sentencing.
That was in question at the beginning, but a Senate vote this week in which only five Republicans voted against a motion that calls the trial unconstitutional ensured that the Senate will not win the two-thirds votes needed for sentencing.
Biden government officials and allies close to the White House say the president will distance himself from the Trump trial as it begins in the second week of February.
“He will let the Senate do what it needs to do,” said a Biden ally, close to the White House. “We always knew this was going to happen. We always knew that this would be the position we now occupy with Republicans. And now he will respect the process and let it happen. “
The impeachment trial poses some risks for Biden, and some Democrats have warned that it could torpedo their initial agenda.
The best thing for Biden, now that Trump’s conviction seems off the table, is that the trial begins and ends so that the Senate can quickly return to working full-time on legislation and confirming Biden’s nominees.
“He came to the White House with a strong message of unity and the last thing he wants is for the impeachment trial to define the early days of his presidency,” said an ally.
Sources say Biden and his advisers have been in frequent contact with Democratic leaders in Congress, and some members of Biden’s inner circle supported the impeachment.
After January 6 at the Capitol, Cedric Richmond
Cedric RichmondWhite House goes full throttle in COVID-19 bailout negotiations An attack on America that divided Congress – and a nation of Pelosi to elect Iowa Republican as a Democratic candidate contests election results MORE, who resigned from Congress to become a senior advisor to Biden, expressed immediate support for impeachment, according to a source familiar with the internal talks on Biden’s team.
But several prominent Democrats in both chambers expressed concern early in the process about a Senate impeachment trial delaying Biden’s agenda. They predicted that only a few Republican senators would vote to condemn Trump.
“We already know the result before it starts and that is frustrating for everyone,” said a Democratic aide to the Senate after this week’s vote on the motion sponsored by the senator. Rand Paul
Randal (Rand) Howard PaulThe Seventeenth Amendment and Donald Trump’s censorship Where’s Barry Goldwater’s Republican Party when we need it? Paul says Roberts’ absence ‘crystallized’ the argument against Trump’s impeachment MORE (R-Ky.).
The majority of the Whip House James Clyburn (DS.C.), an important Biden ally whose endorsement was instrumental in the 2020 election, defended the wait after Biden’s first 100 days in office before sending an impeachment article to the Senate.
Across the Capitol, Sens. Tim Kaine
Timothy (Tim) Michael KaineHow McConnell derailed Trump’s impeachment trial before starting Kaine’s eyes next week to file censorship in order to stop Trump from future office The Hill’s Morning Report – Dems question trial; January becomes the deadliest pandemic month MORE (D-Va.) E Chris Murphy
Christopher (Chris) Scott MurphyHow McConnell derailed Trump’s impeachment trial before he started Schumer promises to move forward with Trump’s trial despite the setback The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden: Focus on vaccine, viruses, travel MORE (D-Conn.) In particular, he expressed concerns that confirming the nominees from the Biden Office and changing a COVID-19 relief package should be the top priorities.
Murphy said, “My particular point was not necessarily that we shouldn’t be running a trial, but we needed a few weeks to get the Office up and running and get COVID [relief] in motion. “
Kaine said on Friday that he raised concerns about “the likely outcome” of a trial.
“I felt as outrageous as the behavior was and as much as responsibility is needed, I just didn’t see a way for Republicans to get 17 votes to condemn,” he said. “I thought about it as soon as Casa started doing it.
He said “the urgent need is relief from COVID and I know Chuck feels the same way,” he added, referring to the Senate majority leader. Charles Schumer
Chuck Schumer Immigration reform cannot wait Psaki hopes Mayorkas, a DHS nominee, will head the task force to bring separate families together. Biden DHS chooses advances in the Senate, removing Republican obstacle MORE (DN.Y.).
Sen. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) ManchinJoe Manchin could show the Senate a better way to advance Democrats ready to bypass Republicans on the relief bill COVID-19 On The Money: Economy shrank 3.5 percent in 2020 | Lawmakers tear up Robinhood’s decision on GameStop | Budget, policy rules threaten hourly minimum wage MORE (DW.Va.) said on January 10 that holding an impeachment trial when Trump is no longer in office “makes no common sense”.
Biden never said anything publicly critical about the trial.
In fact, earlier this week, he told CNN that he thought “it has to happen”.
Immediately after the turmoil, Biden signaled that the decision rested with lawmakers.
“What Congress decides to do is get them to decide,” said Biden on January 8.
He said he understood the impact that impeachment could have on his legislative agenda, but warned that there could be “a worse effect if it did not happen”.
Kaine last week discussed with colleagues what he calls a sentencing resolution that could later trigger a 14th Amendment ban on anyone who has been involved in insurrection or rebellion from taking office.
He said the goal is to establish discoveries of facts about Trump inciting insurrection and providing help and comfort to America’s enemies.
Kaine said he discussed his proposal with the senator. Chris Coons
Chris Andrew CoonsHawley files an ethics counter-complaint against seven Democratic senators. Moderates promise to ‘be a force’ under Biden’s rule. Democrats seek answers about the impact of the Russian cyber attack on the Justice Department, Courts MORE (D-Del.), One of Biden’s closest allies in the Senate.
Democrats now realize that publicly questioning the purpose of a trial will only give Republicans political ammunition and are duly preparing to face a second impeachment trial in just over a year, although the outcome has been predetermined.
“This is a process in which if the Chamber does so and sends the papers, [in] in the Senate, our hands are tied, ”said Kaine.
He added that his fellow Democrats “want to see how the trial will proceed” before considering his conviction resolution.