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| Impeachment live updates: Key Pelosi lieutenant calls on her to transmit articles of impeachment to the Senate | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| House Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.), a top lieutenant of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), said Thursday that she should go ahead and transmit the articles of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate and allow a trial to begin. | |
| Smith’s high-profile break with Pelosi came as she prepared to hold a morning news conference where she is certain to field questions about her ongoing impasse with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Pelosi has said she first wants McConnell to unveil the rules of a trial regarding Trump’s conduct toward Ukraine. | |
| The crux of the Democrats’ case is the allegation that Trump tried to leverage a White House meeting and military aid, sought by Ukraine to combat Russian military aggression, to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, as well as a probe of an unfounded theory that Kyiv conspired with Democrats to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. | The crux of the Democrats’ case is the allegation that Trump tried to leverage a White House meeting and military aid, sought by Ukraine to combat Russian military aggression, to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, as well as a probe of an unfounded theory that Kyiv conspired with Democrats to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. |
| ●GOP leaders spar over adding House members to Trump’s impeachment defense team. | ●GOP leaders spar over adding House members to Trump’s impeachment defense team. |
| ●How to argue about whether a Senate trial should have witnesses. | ●How to argue about whether a Senate trial should have witnesses. |
| ●Rod Rosenstein, joining law firm, reflects on tumultuous time at Justice Department. | ●Rod Rosenstein, joining law firm, reflects on tumultuous time at Justice Department. |
| Which senators support removing Trump | Which House members voted to impeach Trump | House resolution impeaching Trump | Other key documents | Which senators support removing Trump | Which House members voted to impeach Trump | House resolution impeaching Trump | Other key documents |
| Vice President Pence urged the Senate on Thursday to move forward with passage of a new trade deal with Canada and Mexico while it awaits the articles of impeachment from the House. | |
| “While the House of Representatives dithers with their partisan impeachment, the Senate should move on the USMCA and keep this booming economy booming,” Pence said on Fox News, referring to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. | |
| McConnell has previously said passage of the trade deal, a major priority for Trump, would have to wait for a Senate trial. | |
| During the interview, Pence also mocked Democrats for having said Trump’s impeachment was an “urgent” matter when they voted last month, only to delay transmission of the articles. | |
| “It just really is remarkable,” Pence said. “I don’t how many times we heard the word ‘urgent’ from the Democrat leadership in the House as they rammed through their sham investigation.” | |
| House Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said Thursday that Pelosi should go ahead and send the articles of impeachment to the Senate, becoming the highest-profile House Democrat to break with the speaker on her strategy. | |
| “I think it is,” Smith said when asked during an appearance on CNN whether he believes it’s time for Pelosi to transmit the articles. | |
| “I mean, I understand what the speaker is trying to do, basically trying to use the leverage of that to work with Democratic and Republican senators to try to get a reasonable trial that would actually show evidence, bring out witnesses, but at the end of the day, just like we control it in the House, Mitch McConnell controls it in the Senate,” Smith said. | |
| “I think it was perfectly advisable for the speaker to leverage that, get a better deal. At this point, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen, and yes, I think it is time to send the impeachment to the Senate, and let Mitch McConnell be responsible for the fairness of the trial. He ultimately is.” | |
| Smith joins several Senate Democrats who have said Pelosi should go ahead and transmit the articles of impeachment. | |
| Trump claimed the two articles of impeachment against him — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — are “a joke and a scam” as he continued a busy morning on Twitter. | Trump claimed the two articles of impeachment against him — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — are “a joke and a scam” as he continued a busy morning on Twitter. |
| “Pelosi doesn’t want to hand over The Articles of Impeachment, which were fraudulently produced by corrupt politicians like Shifty Schiff in the first place, because after all of these years of investigations and persecution, they show no crimes and are a joke and a scam!” the president said in a tweet. | “Pelosi doesn’t want to hand over The Articles of Impeachment, which were fraudulently produced by corrupt politicians like Shifty Schiff in the first place, because after all of these years of investigations and persecution, they show no crimes and are a joke and a scam!” the president said in a tweet. |
| He was referring to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), a major player in the House impeachment proceedings. | He was referring to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), a major player in the House impeachment proceedings. |
| In a subsequent tweet, Trump wrote, in all capital letters, “PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!” | In a subsequent tweet, Trump wrote, in all capital letters, “PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!” |
| Amid a spate of morning activity on Twitter, Trump highlighted a tweet from McConnell laying out his position on the standoff with Pelosi. | Amid a spate of morning activity on Twitter, Trump highlighted a tweet from McConnell laying out his position on the standoff with Pelosi. |
| “There will be no haggling with the House over Senate procedure,” McConnell said in a tweet that echoed his remarks Wednesday on the Senate floor. “We will not cede our authority to try this impeachment. The House Democrats’ turn is over. The Senate has made its decision. This is for the Senate, and the Senate only, to decide. | “There will be no haggling with the House over Senate procedure,” McConnell said in a tweet that echoed his remarks Wednesday on the Senate floor. “We will not cede our authority to try this impeachment. The House Democrats’ turn is over. The Senate has made its decision. This is for the Senate, and the Senate only, to decide. |
| Pelosi is expected to be peppered with questions during a regularly scheduled weekly news conference on Thursday morning about when she plans to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate, which would allow a trial to proceed. | Pelosi is expected to be peppered with questions during a regularly scheduled weekly news conference on Thursday morning about when she plans to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate, which would allow a trial to proceed. |
| In recent days, Pelosi has said she is waiting to see a Senate resolution laying out the rules of a trial — a stance she reiterated Wednesday night in exchange with a reporter at the Capitol. | In recent days, Pelosi has said she is waiting to see a Senate resolution laying out the rules of a trial — a stance she reiterated Wednesday night in exchange with a reporter at the Capitol. |
| “I said when we saw what the arena is that we would be sending members in, then we would send over the articles,” Pelosi said. “We haven’t seen that, so I don’t know how many more times I have to say that and how many times you want to ask it. But when we see the arena in which this will happen, we will then be prepared to send articles, the pay fors, and the managers.” | “I said when we saw what the arena is that we would be sending members in, then we would send over the articles,” Pelosi said. “We haven’t seen that, so I don’t know how many more times I have to say that and how many times you want to ask it. But when we see the arena in which this will happen, we will then be prepared to send articles, the pay fors, and the managers.” |
| Despite Pelosi’s posture, a growing number of Senate Democrats are publicly saying it’s time for her to release the articles — charging Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — so that a trial can begin in the Senate. | Despite Pelosi’s posture, a growing number of Senate Democrats are publicly saying it’s time for her to release the articles — charging Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — so that a trial can begin in the Senate. |
| Pelosi is also likely to field questions on impeachment in another high-profile venue over the weekend. She is booked at appear Sunday morning on ABC News’s “This Week.” | Pelosi is also likely to field questions on impeachment in another high-profile venue over the weekend. She is booked at appear Sunday morning on ABC News’s “This Week.” |
| Trump plans to attend a “Keep America Great” campaign rally Thursday night in Ohio, a state that he carried by 8 percentage points in the 2016 presidential election against Democrat Hillary Clinton. | |
| The rally in downtown Toledo is scheduled for 7 p.m. Trump has used recent campaign rallies to air his grievances about the impeachment process. | The rally in downtown Toledo is scheduled for 7 p.m. Trump has used recent campaign rallies to air his grievances about the impeachment process. |
| Earlier Thursday, Trump has an event scheduled at the White House related to environmental regulations. | Earlier Thursday, Trump has an event scheduled at the White House related to environmental regulations. |
| He is expected to announce the administration is narrowing the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to assess the impact of major projects, such as building mines, expanding airports and laying pipelines, before work begins. | He is expected to announce the administration is narrowing the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to assess the impact of major projects, such as building mines, expanding airports and laying pipelines, before work begins. |
| Amid the impeachment standoff, the House plans to vote Thursday on a war powers resolution that would limit Trump’s military actions regarding Iran. | Amid the impeachment standoff, the House plans to vote Thursday on a war powers resolution that would limit Trump’s military actions regarding Iran. |
| “Members of Congress have serious, urgent concerns about the Administration’s decision to engage in hostilities against Iran and about its lack of strategy moving forward,” Pelosi said in a statement on Wednesday, in which she criticized Trump for an “insufficient” notification to Congress regarding an airstrike last week that killed Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, as well as for a briefing to House members Wednesday on the action. | |
| Republicans have argued that the House is trying to unnecessarily hamstring Trump. | Republicans have argued that the House is trying to unnecessarily hamstring Trump. |
| Following a party-line vote Wednesday night by the House Rules Committee on the issue, Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) tweeted: “Each of the nine Democrats on the House Rules Committee just voted to tie President [Trump’s] hands when it comes to defending America.” | Following a party-line vote Wednesday night by the House Rules Committee on the issue, Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) tweeted: “Each of the nine Democrats on the House Rules Committee just voted to tie President [Trump’s] hands when it comes to defending America.” |