Happygoluckky
Well-known member
Clarification on “McConnell will delay” an impeachment trial talk.
FWIW, the senate right now is in “pro forma” session, which is standard at this time in the election cycles. I don’t know the reason for these things, (maybe to prevent recess appointments?), but it means they are “in session” but not allowed to do anything substantive.
I saw a memo that was circulated in the senate yesterday explaining that senate rules per the senate parliamentarians states that in order to break the “pro forma” status of the session basically requires a unanimous floor vote. In other words, if just a single senator objects, then they can’t hold a trial on impeachment articles until the next regular session begins, which is January 19th.
Now, maybe this was all engineered ahead of time by McConnell playing 4D chess & doing an unusual move by going into pro forma session at this point in the congressional calendar right before an inauguration. Or maybe the interpretation of senate rules governing this situation is totally wrong & disingenuous.
However, it may not be.
Bottom line is, the odds of a GOP controlled senate ramming through an impeachment trial in 48 hours & voting 2/3 to convict to kick Trump out a few days early was always a pipe dream. As it stands, they can still hold a trial post-inauguration when the senate is under D control. If convicted,
Trump won’t get the humiliation of getting booted early, but all the other consequences (loss of pension, loss of SS, can’t run again for federal office, etc), are still on the table. Big win for Mitch and GOP to get rid of trump
FWIW, the senate right now is in “pro forma” session, which is standard at this time in the election cycles. I don’t know the reason for these things, (maybe to prevent recess appointments?), but it means they are “in session” but not allowed to do anything substantive.
I saw a memo that was circulated in the senate yesterday explaining that senate rules per the senate parliamentarians states that in order to break the “pro forma” status of the session basically requires a unanimous floor vote. In other words, if just a single senator objects, then they can’t hold a trial on impeachment articles until the next regular session begins, which is January 19th.
Now, maybe this was all engineered ahead of time by McConnell playing 4D chess & doing an unusual move by going into pro forma session at this point in the congressional calendar right before an inauguration. Or maybe the interpretation of senate rules governing this situation is totally wrong & disingenuous.
However, it may not be.
Bottom line is, the odds of a GOP controlled senate ramming through an impeachment trial in 48 hours & voting 2/3 to convict to kick Trump out a few days early was always a pipe dream. As it stands, they can still hold a trial post-inauguration when the senate is under D control. If convicted,
Trump won’t get the humiliation of getting booted early, but all the other consequences (loss of pension, loss of SS, can’t run again for federal office, etc), are still on the table. Big win for Mitch and GOP to get rid of trump
