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Pelosi signals impeachment charges may go to Senate next week

Video Credit: Reuters Studio - Duration: 01:37s - Published
Pelosi signals impeachment charges may go to Senate next week

Pelosi signals impeachment charges may go to Senate next week

The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives will send formal impeachment charges against President Donald Trump to the Senate as early as next week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday, setting the stage for his long-awaited trial.

Jonah Green reports.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday that she will send the formal impeachment charges against President Donald Trump to the Senate as early as next week, setting the stage for his long-awaited trial.

In a letter to House lawmakers on Friday, Pelosi said a resolution to appoint "managers" for the trial and to transmit the impeachment charges to the Senate could be brought up on the House floor next week.

In response to the letter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters, “About time.” Pelosi has faced increasing pressure from Senate Republicans to get the show on the road.

She has withheld the charges for weeks in a bid to pressure McConnell to divulge details of his plan for a trial.

Democrats want a guarantee that the trial will include testimony from new witnesses, including former Trump national security adviser John Bolton who said he would testify if subpoenaed.

The House impeached Trump last month on charges that he abused his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political rival and obstructed efforts by Congress to investigate his alleged misconduct.

Pelosi on Friday accused McConnell of “intentions to stonewall a fair trial” by signing onto Senate legislation that would dismiss the charges against Trump, echoing what she said Thursday.

(SOUNDBITE)(English) HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI, SAYING: “They don’t want documentation.

They don’t want witnesses.

They may want a dismissal, which is proof that they cannot — cannot — clear the president of wrongdoing.” McConnell says he has enough votes from his fellow Republicans to begin the proceedings without a commitment to call witnesses.




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