Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell proposed to majority leader Chuck Schumer that former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial should begin in mid-February and set the preferred time during a conference call with fellow Republicans on Thursday, according to several sources on the conference call.
Included in McConnell’s proposal is an agreement to initiate Senate proceedings in February, so that both sides can properly prepare for Trump’s second impeachment trial, according to several people on the conference call. Schumer could be open to this proposal, giving him more time to confirm nominees for President Joe Biden’s office.
Senator Mike Rounds, who was on the call, said he understood that McConnell, R-Ky., Informed the conference before going to Schumer, DN.Y.
“I think we know that we want to make sure that if the Democrats are going to impeach this, the president has a right to due process. And to do that, he has to prepare a case, they have to define the rules and so on, so I think it would be very difficult to start before that, ”said Rounds, RS.D.
Senator Mike Braun, R-Ind., Also told NBC News that he thinks the trial could start in mid-February.
“Senate Republicans are strongly united behind the principle that the Senate institution, the presidential office and former President Trump himself deserve a complete and fair process that respects their rights and serious factual, legal and constitutional issues in game, “McConnell said in a statement on Thursday. “Given the unprecedented speed of the House process, our proposed timeline for the early stages includes a modest and reasonable amount of additional time for both sides to assemble their arguments before the Senate begins to hear them.”
“In this time of strong political passions, Senate Republicans believe that it is absolutely necessary not to allow an incomplete process to undermine the due process that former President Trump deserves or to undermine the Senate or the presidency,” the statement said.
Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., And Schumer criticized the timing of the trial when asked by reporters on Thursday. Pelosi has not yet indicated when he would send the impeachment article to the Senate, but says “soon”.
“We received a proposal from leader McConnell that deals only with pre-trial motions later this afternoon. We will review and discuss with him, “said Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman.
When asked whether the president would support the transfer of the impeachment trial to February, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield reiterated what Biden had previously said that he would leave to the Senate leadership to determine the mechanics and timing of the trial .
Bedingfield added that Biden wants the Senate to conduct the impeachment trial in a way that allows them to move forward with Covid-19 relief legislation as soon as possible.
