Congress Goes on Vacation After Voting for Impeachment, Makes No Plans On How To Proceed

Trump, a Republican, stands little chance of being convicted and removed from office by the Republican-controlled Senate, which will weigh the two impeachment charges that were passed on Wednesday by the Democratic-led House of Representatives.

Republicans and Democrats are at loggerheads over how the trial will play out. Democrats want to call top Trump aides as witnesses, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has not yet sent the impeachment package to the Senate, a bid to increase pressure on Republicans in the upper chamber.

Alan Dershowitz, a high-profile lawyer who may join Trump’s legal team for the trial, said he thought the Senate could press ahead even if Pelosi never sent the impeachment articles.

“The defendant has a right to a speedy trial and the president has the right to a disposition by the Senate if he chooses,” Dershowitz said in an interview. Another person familiar with Trump’s legal team echoed that view.

Many Republican lawmakers prefer a quick trial to get the matter behind them, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has dismissed the idea of calling witnesses. He said Democrats are delaying because they have lost confidence in their case.

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