Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is proposing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to delay the start of President Trump’s impeachment trial until February, several sources familiar with the plan told CBS News . McConnell confirmed his proposal in a statement later Thursday.
That timeline would give Trump’s dismissal managers and defense at least a week to prepare. McConnell presented the proposal to GOP senators at a caucus conference call Thursday. McConnell, now a minority, does not have the final opinion on when a trial would take place. Schumer should accept the proposal. The Chamber has not yet sent the single indictment for incitement to insurrection in the Senate.
Schumer is reviewing the proposal.
“We received Leader McConnell’s proposal that only deals with preventive motions in the afternoon. We will review it and discuss it with him,” a Schumer spokesman said Thursday.
According to the schedule proposed by McConnell, the dismissal managers of the House would read the article in the Senate and the senators would be sworn in the removal court on Thursday, January 28th. From that day on, Mr. Trump would have a week to respond to the article and the preliminary writ of the House would have to be delivered, that is, on February 4th. Mr. Trump would have a week since he filed his response to file his writ of trial as well, that is, on Feb. 11. The House would have two days later (February 13) to file its preliminary proof of rebuttal brief.
“Senate Republicans are strongly united behind the principle that the Senate institution, the office of the presidency and President Trump himself deserve a full and fair process that respects their rights and serious factual, legal and constitutional issues. at stake, ”McConnell said in his statement. “Given the unprecedented speed of the House process, our proposed timeline for the initial stages includes modest and reasonable additional time for both parties to come together with their arguments before the Senate begins to hear them.”
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham praised McConnell’s proposal to delay the trial in February and said she met with McConnell on Thursday.
“We examined the pre-trial historical periods. The difference is that there was really no input to the House, it was an instant dismissal. But when the time periods involved are set, it’s very similar to what we did in the past, ”Graham told reporters.
Graham confirmed that attorney Butch Bowers joins Trump’s legal team as an “anchor tenant.” Graham praised Butcher as a “solid guy.” The South Carolina senator said he had no idea if Trump would attend the trial, but recommended that he not.
“The president expects that to happen back then,” Graham said. “He thinks it’s unconstitutional and harms his presidency, but you know, he’s going to have his day in the courts and that’s how the system works.”
The House charged Trump last week, Jan. 13, with 10 Republicans who joined Democrats.
Senators are currently scheduled to work from their states during the week of February 15 for Presidents ’Day, which can complicate the schedule.
For now, the Senate is also working to confirm President Joe Biden’s candidacies. Democratic Sen. Chris Coons told CNN on Thursday that Democrats could open up to a slight delay in the trial if there is progress in confirming the candidates.
“I think Democrats will be open to considering a delay that will allow former President Trump to reunite his legal team and his defense for the impeachment trial if we are moving forward in confirming the very talented, experienced, and diverse team that President Joe Biden has been appointed to serve in his cabinet, ”Coons said.
McConnell has not publicly said whether he supports or opposes the ouster, although he has said the mob that attacked the Capitol was “provoked by the president.”