Pelosi Signs And Submits Articles Of Impeachment Against President Trump (Video)
17:47
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed a resolution Wednesday afternoon
authorizing seven trial managers to deliver the articles of impeachment
against President Trump to the Senate. Opening arguments in President
Trump's Senate trial will begin on Tuesday, Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell announced.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After weeks of
rhetorical fire and fury, a handful of U.S. House members walked quietly
across a hushed Capitol on Wednesday to deliver articles of impeachment
to the Senate, paving the way for the trial of President Donald Trump.
Led
by the House of Representatives’ sergeant at arms and the House clerk
carrying the documents on a tray, seven House managers walked through a
nearly empty Statuary Hall and the soaring Capitol rotunda.
More
than a dozen Senate Democrats sat silently at their desks when the group
arrived at the Senate. They were joined by two Republicans, Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Kevin Cramer.
A third Republican, Chuck Grassley, presided from the dais.
The
House members were politely ushered to a bench at the rear of the
Senate chamber, where they sat in silence as the House clerk announced
the impeachment resolution had passed, and Grassley responded: “The
message will be received.”
The procession took place four weeks
after the Democratic-led House voted to impeach the Republican president
on charges of abuse of power for asking Ukraine to investigate
political rival Joe Biden and obstruction of Congress for blocking
information sought by investigators.
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and McConnell have since feuded over how to conduct the trial.
Pelosi
delayed signing the impeachment articles while she waited for word from
McConnell about the trial’s scope. During the delay, Democrats and
Republicans squabbled over Trump’s status because he had been impeached,
but had not had his trial.
Pelosi used a few dozen pens to sign,
at a desk bearing a placard reading #DefendOurDemocracy. Afterward, she
handed pens to the impeachment managers and committee chairs involved
in the investigation.
“It makes a funny signature,” she said.
Reflecting
the deep partisan divide, the House vote to impeach Trump was nearly
along party lines. Many of his fellow Republicans in the Senate have
made clear they view the impeachment as a political stunt by Democrats
as Trump seeks re-election in the November election.
The dispute did not end when the articles were handed over.
Senate
Republicans said Democrats would have to repeat the delivery on
Thursday. McConnell said he had invited the House managers to exhibit
the articles at noon before U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts swears in
the senators.
“We will pledge to rise above petty factionalism
and do justice for our institutions, for our states, and for the
nation,” McConnell said in a statement.
The trial starts on Tuesday after a holiday weekend.
TheNEWS BERG (Formerly Kevin Djakpor Blog) is the leading go-to sites for Breaking Political, celebrity and general news garnering millions ofpage views a month and rising rapidly.
Kevin Jakpor (CEO & Chief Editor) is the passionate and professional blogger, the founder and owner of NEWSBERG. Take a moment to click right through to his blog. It has tons of great posts on news, entertainment, culture, music, money, sports and many other fascinating areas of social life.
0 Comments