Congress
Impeachment chicken: Pelosi, McConnell and the battle for leverage over a Senate trial
House Democrats are backing Speaker
Nancy Pelosi’s power move to hold articles of impeachment in the House until the Senate agrees to what Democrats say will be fair procedures for a trial, but it’s unclear how long their patience for this game of chicken with Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell will last.
Pelosi announced the move at a news conference late Wednesday night after the House impeached President Donald Trump, and then briefly explained her thinking with Democrats
at a meeting Thursday morning.
She did not specify how long the hold would last and refused to rule out that she may never transfer the articles.
Rank-and-file Democrats did not have advance warning, although that’s a strategy progressives had discussed.
“I’m not saying we have all the leverage in the world, but we certainly have some and we should use it,” Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair and Judiciary member
Pramila Jayapal said. “
Nancy Pelosi’s very smart on these things and I think Trump has never been able to defeat Pelosi in these battles.”
The leverage point, the Washington Democrat said, is that Trump wants to get the trial over with and be acquitted by the Senate.
Politically not having one at all could benefit several of McConnell’s conference members up for reelection in swing states because they wouldn’t have to vote on removing Trump from office.
House Democrats appear willing to give Pelosi the leeway to play hardball and secure some concessions, at least for a little while.
House Democrats are backing Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s power move to hold articles of impeachment in the House until the Senate agrees to what Democrats say will be fair procedures for a trial, but it’s unclear how long their patience for this game of chicken with Senate Majority Leader Mitch...
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