House Democrats are also considering imposing the impeachment option on Trump this week and waiting until later to send the impeachment article to the Senate to delay the court’s dismissal. after the early days of Biden’s presidency, according to Democrats in the party’s leadership.
“We will take the vote we should in the House, and we (Pelosi) will decide when is the best time to get that vote and hire the managers and pass that legislation. to the Senate, “Clyburn told CNN ‘s Jake Tapper.
“It just so happens that if he doesn’t go over that for 100 days, he could – give President Biden the 100 days he needs to defer his agenda and run, and we may post the articles sometime after that, “he said.
Pelosi, in a letter to colleagues submitted Saturday night, said clear action would be taken.
“By taking the oath of office, we reassure the American people of our commitment to the defense of our democracy,” Pelosi wrote. “For that reason, it is absolutely essential that those who attacked our democracy be held accountable. It must be acknowledged that this despair was initiated by the President.”
Pelosi also made it clear that members should be willing to return to Washington this week to take action. Democrats are looking to get votes sooner than Wednesday but are still not finalizing their plans, sources tell CNN.
The level of unity in the caucus has been driven by the visual reality of January 6, a day in which five people died and lawyers sued – for a time blamed inside the House chamber as protesters singing for violence knocked on their outer doors – scattered to places not dispersed under guard from fully enforced law enforcement officers.
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made it clear in a memo circulated last week that even if the House moves in the coming days to implore Trump, the Senate will not return to a session before January 19. That would begin the trial on January 20 – Biden’s founding date.
From there, the Senate is left virtually incompetent on any side-by-side action until it is finalized, as was evident in Trump’s first impeachment trial.
House Democratic leaders have begun to uncover what that could mean for Biden’s opening days as president – from the confirmation of his cabinet nominees to the aggressive stimulus proposal he intends to push from the first moments in his career. Democrats on the leadership call on Saturday night raised these issues in particular, as they try to overcome the complex dynamics.
Pelosi, in her letter to colleagues, made it clear that the way forward is still very much a work in progress.
“We will continue to hold meetings with Members and Constitutional experts and others,” she wrote. “I still welcome your comments.”
Not only have California Democrats called for Trump to resign, but they have also urged Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to call the 25th Amendment to the Presidency. to resign sitting.
But Pelosi told colleagues on Friday’s call that impeachment was a real option if that did not happen, noting that there was more support within the House Democratic caucus for attacking Trump now than it was in 2019 when Trump was first introduced.
“The President chose to be an insurer,” Pelosi said, according to one source. “How we proceed is a matter for this caucus.”
House Democrats plan to introduce their impeachment resolution on Monday, when the House comes into session. The latest version of the impeachment resolution, obtained by CNN, includes an impeachment article for “encouraging insurrection.”
The House Rules Committee is expected to meet Monday or Tuesday to approve a rule governing a floor debate for an impeachment resolution and a bill drafted by Raskin to create new equipment to call the 25th Amendment.
This story was updated with additional details on Sunday.
CNN’s Manu Raju, Devan Cole, Lauren Fox and Jeremy Herb contributed to this report.