The House of Representatives formally transmitted its finalized an article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday. This will start the process for Trump’s trial on charges of “incitement of insurrection.”
Senate Major Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said on the Senate floor that transmission was approved by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) but did not discuss the upcoming trial’s proceedings. Senate rules dictate that once articles of impeachment reach the floor, the trial must begin.
“I’ve heard some of my Republican colleagues argue that this trial would be unconstitutional because Donald Trump is no longer in office,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. The Majority Leader then explained that these claims have been uniformly debunked by Constitutional scholars and “defies common sense.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and other Senate Republicans hoped that the trial would be delayed so the former president can have more time to “mount a defense.” McConnell’s requests were turned down.
The official transfer of the House’s articles sets a deadline for party leadership in the Senate to agree on trial proceedings, and could also speed up Trump’s return to D.C. after his flight to Palm Beach hours before the Biden Inauguration.
