What You Need To Know:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has not indicated a real timeline for sending the two articles of impeachment to the U.S. Senate. Sunday morning, the speaker announced she would meet with her caucus Tuesday to decide when to send the articles to Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell. If the Senate receives the articles Tuesday, the trial could begin as early as Wednesday.
This will also affect the race for votes in Iowa as five U.S. senators currently campaigning will have to be in D.C. for the trial. A reminder, the Articles of Impeachment or charges against Donald Trump found him guilty in the House of Representatives of:
1) Abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to help him against political rivals and;
2) Obstructing Congress by ignoring subpoenas by blocking testimony and refusing to submit documents necessary to the case.
Why You Need To Know:
Holding on to the charges against Donald Trump has placed greater attention on how the Republican majority Senate, working with the White House, plans to run this trial. The discussion about calling witnesses has continued to grow — especially among those Republican senators who appear to be jumping on and off that political fence. This time it’s the turn of Senator Susan Collins of Maine. Collins, up for re-election this year, announced she had discussions with other Senate members on the topics of witnesses called during the Senate trial.
