Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is getting tired of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) holding on to the two articles of impeachment against President Trump that passed in a partisan vote in December.
In a floor speech on Thursday, McConnell gave Pelosi a deadline of the end of this week to send them over or else the Senate will work on other issues. Pelosi has stated she is holding on to the two articles, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, to pressure the Senate to take steps to have a "fair" trial.
"Even as the Democrats have prolonged this game, we have seen Iran escalate tensions with our nation. We live in a dangerous world. So, yes, the House majority can create this temporary cloud over a commander-in-chief if they choose — if they choose — but they do not get to keep the cloud in place forever," McConnell said. "So, look, there’s real business for the American people that the United States Senate needs to complete. If the Speaker continues to refuse to take her own accusations to trial, the Senate will move forward next week with the business of our people."
Some Senate Democrats have said that it is time for Pelosi to give up and send the articles over to the upper chamber. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the House Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said Pelosi should send them over on Thursday morning, before backtracking a few hours later.
I am concerned that Senator McConnell won’t have a fair trial and I am with the Speaker that we should do everything we can to ensure he does. Ultimately, I do want the articles sent to the Senate for the very simple reason that I want the impeachment process to go forward.
— Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) January 9, 2020
"We will operate on the assumption that House Democrats are too embarrassed — too embarrassed — to ever move forward. And we will get back to the people’s business. For example, the Senate continues to process President Trump’s landmark trade deal, the USMCA, through our committees of jurisdiction. It passed the Senate Finance Committee this week by a landslide vote of 25-3, a major victory for the president and for working families," McConnell continued.
"So while the speaker continues her irresponsible games, we’ll continue doing the people’s business," he added.
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