Graham urges Biden to get Pelosi to “cancel” the dismissal proceedings

His. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamBrown says Graham called the agent for not doing “enough” to protect senators. Lawmakers reported “horrible,” “creepy” security threats before the inauguration. (RS.C.) urges the president-elect Joe BidenJoe Biden: A growing number of GOP lawmakers say they support the removal. House approves measure asking Pence to remove Trump Disney, Walmart says will block donations to lawmakers who oppose Electoral College results MORE to convince Congress Democrats to abandon plans to prosecute dismissal President TrumpDonald Trump: A growing number of GOP lawmakers say they support the removal of YouTube, which temporarily bans the upload of new content to the Trump House channel adopts a measure asking Pence to remove Trump MORE.

Graham, who has spoken out against the Democratic indictment effort, presented the petition to Biden in a series of tweets after the House voted on a bipartisan basis to oust Trump, making him the first president to be accused twice.

“Now is the time for President-elect Biden to rise to the occasion and instruct his party to suspend post-presidential impeachment proceedings,” Graham wrote in tweets.

Graham added that Biden should urge Congress leaders to step down because moving forward with a trial after Trump left office would, according to the Republican Party senator, be a “destructive force” for both the presidency and the country.

“Every president is subject to the laws of the country. However, the removal is political and will further divide the nation,” he added.

There is no indication that Biden is urging the Speaker of the House Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiHouse Approves Measure Asking Pence to Dismiss Trump Trump told Pence he could be a “patriot” or “p —-” when overseeing the election vote: Reporter Pelosi appoints 9 dismissal managers MORE (D-California) or Democratic Senate leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerWoman interrupts Schumer’s press conference and calls it “racist anti-Semitic” Night energy: EPA exempts many polluting industries from future air regulations | The former Michigan governor will be blamed for the Flint water crisis: report | Dismissed White House officials after posting doubts about Senate Climate Science to receive information on security of inauguration after Capitol attack MORE (NY) to retire, even when a prosecution trial could consume weeks from the start of his administration or Democratic leaders would agree to try this procedural gambit.

Biden has avoided publicly suspending the impeachment effort, noting that he would leave this to Congress leaders as he focuses on legislative priorities and confirms his cabinet.

This week he revealed to reporters that he has addressed the Senate lawmaker to discuss whether the chamber can divide his time between legislation or candidacies and an impeachment trial, something the Senate did not do during Trump’s 2020 trial.

Although the House voted Trump on Wednesday to accuse Trump, with the support of ten House Republicans, it is unclear when exactly a trial in the Senate will begin. The Democratic leadership of the House has not announced its chronology and Pelosi did not answer questions from reporters about the calendar at a press conference shortly after the vote.

But the trial will take place during the Biden administration after the Senate majority leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHouse approves a measure asking Pence to remove Trump Trump, the house’s GOP relationship deteriorates suddenly Kinzinger says he will vote to accuse Trump MORE (R-Ky.) He rejected a request from Schumer to use a 2004 authority granted to leadership that would have allowed them to return to the Senate in the early session. Without exercising this power or with the consent of all senators, the Senate will not return to the session until January 19, the day before Biden’s inauguration.

“The House of Representatives has voted to impeach the president. The Senate process will now begin at our first regular meeting after receiving the House article,” McConnell said in a statement.

Under a note released by McConnell late last week, the earliest the Senate could begin examining the dismissal articles is at 1 p.m., either Jan. 20, the day Biden promises, or on January 21, the day after being invested. .

McConnell has remained closely linked to Trump for the past four years, but, underscoring the GOP’s anger with the president in the wake of last week’s attack, does not close the door on voting to condemn him.

“I have not made a final decision on how I will vote and I intend to hear the legal arguments when they are tabled in the Senate,” McConnell wrote in the letter to the committee.

Although much of the caucus has been silent on the House’s ousting effort, Graham is one of several Republican senators who have opposed it.

He has also been calling on his Republican Party colleagues for several days to urge them to oppose condemning Trump as part of the Senate trial, a spokesman for The Hill confirmed on Wednesday.

“This was his initiative, not a specific request from the White House,” the spokesman added.