Impeachment live updates: House to vote Wednesday to send impeachment articles against Trump to the Senate
By Washington Post staffers
The crux of the Democrats’ case is the allegation that Trump tried to leverage a White House meeting and military aid, sought by Ukraine to combat Russian military aggression, to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, as well as a probe of an unfounded theory that Kyiv conspired with Democrats to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.
Jeffries confirms plans for transmitting impeachment articles
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, confirmed to reporters Tuesday that Pelosi intends to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate “at some point tomorrow.”
Jeffries, speaking at a news conference, said the House impeachment managers would be named before Wednesday’s vote on the resolution that will trigger a Senate trial.
He said Democrats plan to remain focused on “the stunning abuse of power” by Trump.
“He abused his power and obstructed a constitutionally inspired impeachment inquiry,” Jeffries said. “No one is above the law. … The next step is simple: The Senate should hold a fair trial.”
In response to a question, Jeffries said no decision has been made about whether the House will subpoena former national security adviser John Bolton.
Bolton, who declined to participate in the House impeachment proceedings, has since said he is prepared to testify in a Senate trial.
“Nothing has been ruled in, nothing has been ruled out, but at the moment the ball is in he Senate’s court,” Jeffries said.
McConnell blasts ‘half-baked’ impeachment resolution, knocks Pelosi
McConnell blasted House Democrats on Tuesday for presenting a “half-baked” impeachment resolution and pressing the Senate to call witnesses that were not part of House proceedings.
“Two things cannot be both true,” McConnell said during remarks on the Senate floor. “House Democrats’ case cannot simultaneously be so robust that it was enough to impeach in the first place but also so weak that the Senate needs to go fishing. If the existing case is so strong, there’s no need for the judge and the jury to reopen the investigation. If the existing case is weak, House Democrats should not have impeached in the first place.”
McConnell also knocked Pelosi for having said in a television interview over the weekend that Trump is “impeached for life.”
“Last weekend on television the speaker bragged that this president is impeached for life regardless of what the Senate does,” McConnell said. “Regardless of what the Senate does, as if the ultimate verdict were sort of an afterthought.”
