(CNN)House Democrats plan to send the article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday, but the start of arguments in the Senate’s impeachment trial won’t begin until February 9, giving the Senate time to confirm President Joe Biden’s Cabinet.
Under an agreement between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that Schumer announced Friday evening, the Senate would take up the ceremonial functions of the trial Tuesday, the day after the articles are transmitted to the Senate. Then the House and Trump’s legal team would have two weeks to submit pre-trial briefs, with the trial itself beginning on February 9.
A delay to the impeachment trial makes sense for Democrats because the trial threatens to stall the confirmation of Biden’s Cabinet, as Senate Republicans said Friday they would not allow the Senate to confirm nominees at the same time the trial is going on. The trial’s timing one of several logistical hurdles the Senate is tackling amid broader negotiations between Schumer and McConnell over how the 50-50 Senate will be governed.
