WASHINGTON _ Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House of Representatives will be prepared to move the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week, a potential end to a standoff between House Democrats and Senate Republicans since the House impeached the president last month.
"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 wrote in a letter to lawmakers Friday. "I will be consulting with you at our Tuesday House Democratic Caucus meeting on how we proceed further."
Pelosi, D-Calif., had held the articles in hopes of getting more favorable terms for a Senate trial, including the subpoena of witnesses and documents. But Senate Republicans refused to back down from their plan to punt any decision on witnesses until after the trial has gotten underway, leaving Democrats with little leverage.
The movement of the articles from the House to the Senate will kick off several days of pretrial proceedings in the Senate, including President Donald Trump's formal notification. Within days, the Senate would be expected to begin a trial that will end in a vote on whether to convict Trump and remove him from office.
