House Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi January 9, 2020 – NEW CHINA / SIPA
The calendar becomes clearer. The House of Representatives will vote on Wednesday to forward to the Senate the indictment against
Donald trump, Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi said on Tuesday. The trial will begin in the wake of the Senate, probably Thursday, with different procedural points, but we will enter the heart of the proceedings on Tuesday, January 21, announced the head of the Republicans, Mitch McConnell.
“The House will now vote on Wednesday, January 15, on the transmission of charges” adopted in December against the Republican President – abuse of power and hinders the smooth running of Congress – and on the team of elected officials who will lay the charge in the Senate, Pelosi announced after a closed-door meeting with his parliamentary group.
Battle in sight to hear new witnesses
Nancy Pelosi will at the same time choose the team of House managers who will play the role of prosecutors in the Senate. Opposite, Donald Trump’s defense will be provided by White House legal counsel Pat Cipollone and the President’s personal attorney, Jay Sekulow, and Supreme Court chief John Roberts will preside over the proceedings.
The big unknown for now remains the question of witnesses. After the trial begins this week, senators will vote Tuesday to allow or not hear new witnesses, including former National Security Advisor John Bolton and Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney. With 47 votes, the Democrats will need the help of four elected Republicans. Several, like Mitt Romey, have already indicated that they would like to hear what these witnesses who directly witnessed the Ukrainian soap opera had to say.
The trial could last between two weeks (if the Republicans managed to vote to acquit Donald Trump from the start, which seems unlikely) and a month, if the Democrats win their case on the witnesses. In any case, Donald Trump should ultimately escape impeachment: with a two-thirds majority vote, he seems immune to the massive defection of 20 Republican senators.
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