Trump Impeachment: When Will The Senate Hold The Trial On House Articles?

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Friday that she will send the two articles of impeachment against President Trump to the Senate next week. The Senate impeachment trial could begin shortly after the articles are sent over.

"I have asked Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler to be prepared to bring to the Floor next week a resolution to appoint managers and transmit articles of impeachment to the Senate," Pelosi said in a letter to House Democrats.

Pelosi had been holding onto the articles of impeachment until she received a guarantee from Senate Republicans that they would hold a fair trial. Republicans, such as Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have said that they work closely with the White House during the Senate trial.

Once McConnell receives the articles, the Senate can begin the trial on whether to convict and remove Trump. McConnell has said that he was “glad” that the articles of impeachment are finally being sent over.

Before the trial, Supreme Court Justice John Roberts will administer an oath to senators. The Senate will also have to debate and pass a procedural resolution on how the initial part of the trial will be conducted. The White House may ask for more time for trial preparation as Trump attends the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 21.

The articles — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — refer to Trump’s controversial dealings with Ukraine.

Abuse of power involves Trump’s pressuring of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to conduct an investigation into Hunter Biden’s activities in the country. Obstruction of Congress refers to Trump’s order to impeachment trial witnesses to not cooperate with subpoenas.

The House impeachment inquiry into Trump’s dealings with Ukraine was announced by Pelosi on Sept. 24 after an anonymous whistleblower filed a complaint that Trump pressured Zelensky to obtain dirt pertaining to Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden. The move could be seen as using a foreign country to intervene in a U.S. election, as Joe Biden is one of Trump’s main Democratic rivals for the presidency in 2020.