Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has proposed to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that the impeachment hearing of former President Donald Trump should begin in mid-February and a selection date be set during a conference call with Republican allies on Thursday, several sources said.
Included in McConnell’s proposal is a deal to begin Senate proceedings in February so that both parties can properly prepare for the hearing of Trump’s second impeachment, several people on the call said. Schumer may be open to the proposal, giving the president more time to confirm Biden’s cabinet nominees.
Sen. Mike Rounds, who was on the call, said his understanding is that McConnell, R-Key, informs the conference before leaving Schumer, D.N.Y.
“I think we know we want to make sure that if the Democrats are going to do this impeachment, the president has the right to take action. And to do that he has to prepare the case, they have set the rules and so forth, so I think it will be very difficult to start before that, ”Round, RSDA said.
Senator Mike Bron, R-Ind., Also told NBC News that he believes the hearing could begin in mid-February.
“Senate Republicans are united behind the principle that the institution of the Senate, the Office of the President, and former President Trump himself deserve a complete and just system that respects his rights and extreme legal, and constitutional questions,” McConnell said Thursday. Said in the statement. “Given the unprecedented pace of the House process, our proposed timeline for the initial phase includes a general and reasonable amount to gather arguments from both parties before their hearing by the Senate begins.”
“At this time of political fervor, Senate Republicans believe it is imperative that we not allow the semi-baked process to short-circuit the proper process or that former President Trump deserves or harms the Senate or the presidency,” the statement said. .
Speaker of both houses Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and Schumer fined the question of the timing of the hearing when asked by reporters on Thursday. Pelosi has not yet indicated when he will send the impeachment motion to the Senate, but says “soon.”
“We received a proposal from Leader McConnell, who only works with pre-trial speed late this afternoon. “We’ll review it and discuss it with you,” said Schumer’s spokesman Justin Goodman.
When asked if the president would support moving the impeachment hearing to February, White House Communications Director Kate Beddingfield reiterated what Biden had previously said he would leave to the Senate leadership to determine the mechanics and timing of the hearing.
Beddingfield added that Biden wants the Senate to hear the impeachment proceedings in a way that allows them to proceed as quickly as possible with the Covid-19 relief law.
