PELOSI ON IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES: ‘Ill Send ‘Em Over When I’m Ready’ (VIDEO)

09.01.2020 20:08

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday once again refused to hand over the two articles of impeachment against President Trump, seeking to try to exert control over the coming Senate trial.

“I’m not holding them indefinitely,” Pelosi said of the two articles passed by the House in December. “I’ll send ’em over when I’m ready, and that will probably be soon.”

Pelosi forced the articles through the House before Christmas, asserting that urgency was needed because Trump posed an existential danger to America. But she’s sat on the articles for the last 22 days, complaining that the GOP-controlled Senate appeared unable to conduct a fair and impartial trial.

While the House’s role in impeachment is virtually over, Pelosi is demanding more control over the Senate trial. As she often does, Pelosi got snippy at reporters asking simple questions.

“You will keep asking me the same question, I will keep giving you the same answer,” Pelosi said. “As I said right from the start, we need to see the arena in which we are sending our managers. Is that too much to ask?”

The trial cannot cannot begin until Pelosi hands over the articles of impeachment to the Senate. The only role left to play for House lawmakers is to act as impeachment managers. Pelosi has still refused to name such managers.

Earlier Thursday, McConnell said the Senate plans to handle other legislation next week if Pelosi doesn’t hand over the articles.

“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,” McConnell said from the Senate floor. “We will operate on the assumption that House Democrats are too embarrassed to ever move forward.”

He also blasted the House, which is controlled by Democrats, for the party line vote on impeachment.

“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,” he said.

Signally that the impeachment is purely political, Pelosi said: “I think we should move smartly and strategically.” And she snubbed the Senate Majority Leader. “I’m not responsible to Mitch McConnell, or anybody else, except my members.”

An increasing number of top Democrats are coming forward to push Pelosi to hand over the articles to the Senate. Rep. Adam Smith, chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, told CNN on Thursday that he believes “it is time to send impeachment to the Senate and let Mitch McConnell be responsible for the fairness of the trial. He ultimately is.”

WATCH:

Q: "Are you holding the articles indefinitely?"@SpeakerPelosi: "No. I'm not holding them indefinitely. I'll send them over when I'm ready. That will probably be soon."

Full video here: https://t.co/EMwzfZaHKc pic.twitter.com/nVF1TKHAEC

— CSPAN (@cspan) January 9, 2020