Pallbearers of Democracy

Posted on by Thor

The House Impeachment managers, led by Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), delivered the article of impeachment to the Senate on January 25, 2021. Senators were sworn in on January 26, 2021 for the second impeachment of Donald Trump for “incitement of insurrection.” The house managers waited outside the Senate chamber in the exact same spot rioters confronted Capitol police on January 6, 2021.

Senator Patrick Leahy, the president pro tempore who will be presiding over the trial, administered the oath to senators. Senators then signed the oath book declaring their intent to serve as impartial jurors. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who said the impeachment was “Dead on arrival,” challenged the constitutionality of an impeachment trial against a former president. Just five Republicans, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse and Pat Toomey, joined all Democrats in opposing the measure, an indication that Democrats will not attract the 17 Republicans that would be needed to convict Mr. Trump at trial. Most Republican Senators will not truly be impartial, they will not convict Trump because they fear him and his lunatic “base.” As Trump said in the past, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” Who knew he could kill 400,000 Americans and incite a riot on the Capitol building and not face consequences. He probably loves the idea of the trial since it will keep his name in the headlined for one more month before he fades into obscurity.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Paul’s interpretation of the Constitution was “flat-out wrong,” and noted that the Senate had previously held an impeachment trial for an official who was no longer in office in 1876. On January 27, 2021, Schumer insisted that the Senate would push forward with an impeachment trial of the former President despite not having the GOP votes needed.

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine and Republican Senator Susan Collins have pitched their colleagues on supporting a censure resolution against Mr. Trump. Censure is a formal disapproval that can be adopted by one, or both chambers of Congress. Unlike impeachment, censure is not a power provided by the Constitution. Censure, is “stronger than a simple rebuke, but not as strong as expulsion.” For an authoritarian like Trump it is just a slap on the wrist.

House Delivers Articles of Impeachment to Senate

Posted on by Thor

On Monday, January 25, 2021 House impeachment managers walked across the Capitol and delivered to the Senate the charge against Donald J. Trump, the first president in history to be impeached twice. The charge is incitement of insurrection. They were led into the Senate chamber by the lead impeachment manager, Rep. Jamie Raskin of (D-MD), who read the article of impeachment. Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D-VT), the president pro tempore of the Senate, is expected to preside over the impeachment trial. The Constitution says the chief justice presides when the person facing trial is the current president of the United States, but senators preside in other cases, one source said.

The trial is slated to begin the week of February 8, 2021. The expectation is, that it will take up much of February and wrap up by month’s end, if not sooner. Before the start of the trial the Senate hopes to confirm President Joe Biden‘s Cabinet and potentially handle the President’s Covid-19 relief package. Trump’s legal team and the House managers will have two weeks to exchange pre-trial briefs before arguments begin. Senators will be sworn in as jurors on Tuesday, January 26, 2021. 17 Republican Senators would have to vote to convict the former president in the Senate that now evenly split 50/50. 10 house republicans voted to impeach the president but getting 17 Senators to weigh the evidence in an impartial way seems a long shot.  Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), the only Republican who voted to convict Trump in the first impeachment trial, said, “I believe that what is being alleged and what we saw, which is incitement to insurrection, is an impeachable offense. If not, what is?”

Joe Biden has proposed a 1.9 trillion dollar COVID Relief Plan. Sixteen bipartisan senators discussed the aid plan with Biden administration officials on Sunday, January 24, 2021 and while the lawmakers agreed on the need for vaccine distribution money, many questioned the overall price tag. It could take weeks for Congress to finish talks around a coronavirus relief deal and for Democrats to decide whether they should forge ahead with an aid bill without GOP support. The bill includes calls for funds to streamline vaccinations, $1,400 direct payments, a $400 weekly unemployment supplement, and state and local government support.