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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Maanvi Singh in San Francisco (now) and Joan E Greve in Washington (earlier)

House votes to limit Donald Trump's war powers amid Iran crisis – as it happened

Live political reporting continues in Friday’s blog:

Updated

Summary

  • The House voted to limit Donald Trump’s war powers. The measure compels the president to consult Congress before taking further action against Iran. As a “concurrent resolution”, the legislation doesn’t need to be ratified by Trump, but is not legally binding.
  • Still, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted the War Powers Resolution “has real teeth” because “it is a statement of the Congress of the United States”.
  • At a rally in Ohio (which is still ondoing), Trump repeated a claim that he ordered a strike on Iranian general Quassem Suleimani because of a threat to the US embassy in Baghdad. The president also derided Congress’ War Powers resolution and implied it would have been impractical to coordinate schedules with lawmakers to discuss the strike before he ordered it.
  • Pelosi said she won’t publicly set a deadline to send the articles of impeachment against Trump to the Senate, though Senate Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly expects them as early as tomorrow.
  • Western officials believe the Ukrainian airliner that crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran on Wednesday was caused by an Iranian missile. OF the 176 passengers who died, 63 were Canadian. Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau said his government “will not rest” until it got justice.

LA mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed Joe Biden

Joe Biden gained a high-profile supporter in Calfornia, ahead of the state’s March 3 primary. The Los Angeles mayor joined Dianne Feinstein, the state’s senior US senator, in endorsing Biden.

“We need Joe Biden to bring our nation and world together during these most divided and dangerous times,” Garcetti said in a statement.

Although Biden is a front-runner in national polls, in California, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are neck and neck with the former vice president.

Garcetti weighed entering the 2020 race himself but announced a year ago that he wouldn’t be running.

Updated

The president is now addressing his order to kill Iranian general Qassem Suleimani without consulting Congress. Trump said he’s ended Suleimani’s “rampage though not only that part of the world” but also “other parts”, implying that Suleimani was targeting the US embassy in Baghdad and other embassies.

“He’s no longer a terror — he’s dead,” Trump said.

He derided “Crazy Bernie” and Nancy Pelosi for criticizing his moves against Iran, and mocked Democrats who passed a War Powers Resolutions to prevent him from taking further action without consulting Congress, implying it would have been too difficult to coordinate schedules to discuss the “execution” of the Iranian general before ordering it.

Earlier today, Trump claimed he ordered the killing of Suleimani to stop a plot to destroy the US embassy in Baghdad, though he didn’t provide any further details to reporters. The plot was “obvious,” he said, pointing to protesters who stormed the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers have criticized the Trump administration’s refusal to provide more information on why, exactly, the Iranian general was targeted now.

Updated

Donald Trump is speaking at a rally in Toledo, Ohio.

An Ohio politics reporter fact-checks his claim that “Ohio just had the best year economically”.

Billionaire Tom Steyer is the sixth candidate to qualify for the Democratic debate

Tom Steyer speaking to the press in the spin room after the sixth Democratic primary debate in December.
Tom Steyer speaking to the press in the spin room after the sixth Democratic primary debate in December. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Steyer qualified for the debate after two Fox News polls released today showed Steyer polling double-digits in South Carolina and Nevada. He tied alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren for third place in Nevada and landed in second place in South Carolina, with at 15%. Joe Biden took the lead spot in both polls.

The debate is scheduled for Jan 14 in Des Moines, Iowa. Along with Steyer, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, and Amy Klobuchar have also qualified. Cory Booker, Deval Patrick and Andrew Yang, the three remaining candidates of color have not yet qualified; they have through tomorrow to do so.

  • This post was amended on 10 January 2020. A previous version omitted Deval Patrick from the list of candidates of color.

Updated

Having approved the war powers resolution, the House has now moved on to environmental policy. Members are debating legislation that would require the Environmental Protection Agency to designate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as hazardous.

But Donald Trump – who today unveiled a plan to bypass environmental review of major infrastructure projects and has aggressively pursued cuts to environmental projection – insists he cares about the environment, too.

Asked whether climate change was a hoax this morning, Trump told reporters “it’s a very serious subject” and he’s going to read a book about it. The New York Times’ Lisa Friedman followed up – and discovered the title of the book he intends to read: Donald J Trump: An Environmental Hero, by Ed Russo.

The book was self-published by Russo, who was an environmental advisor for the Trump Organization.

Updated

A Super Pac set up to help defeat the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, is releasing its first attack ad against the top Kentucky Republican.

The 46-second web ad by the “Fire Mitch. Save America” Super Pac is a compilation of clips of late night hosts lambasting McConnell. It starts with Daily Show comedian Trevor Noah saying McConnell is “truly the perfect movie villain” while images of McConnell on the Senate floor and smiling directly into the camera.

The ad shows a clip of comedian Samantha Bee saying “McConnell is so good at blocking things he’s like the kidney stone of the Senate.” Thr MSNBC host Joe Scarborough’s voice then says “keeps killing any bill that would protect American democracy” before going back to Bee saying McConnell has been “openly bragging about he how he stole a supreme court seat” – a reference to McConnell’s refusal to hold hearings on Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland for the supreme court. The ad then switches to a clip of McConnell saying “think of me as the grim reaper”.

The ad frames McConnell as a nefarious figure in the Senate, a common sentiment among Democrats.

“Mitch McConnell is the most unpopular senator in the entire country and yet he has enormous power to block progress on so many issues important to all of our families,” Democratic strategist Eric Hyers, the founder of the Super Pac, said in a statement. “He is fueling the cynicism and distrust of Washington and it’s time for him to go. Kentucky and all Americans deserve better.”

The ad is the first one by the Super Pac and is set to air on multiple digital platforms. It’s the latest example of Democrats’ efforts to oust the longtime senator by painting him as a consummate Washington insider motivated by partisanship above all else.

McConnell is up for re-election in 2020 and multiple Democrats are running in the primary for the party nomination to face him. But Democrat Amy McGrath, the former Democratic congressional candidate, is the heavy favorite.

The Super Pac plans to produce more content against McConnell.

Updated

The House resolution came about after Donald Trump chose to take unilateral action last week to assassinate the senior Iranian general Qassem Suleimani without consulting or even notifying before Congress.

To stop the president from taking further action against Iran without consulting them, House Democrats have invoked the War Powers Act of 1973, which draws out the parameters of presidential and congressional war powers. With the passage of an Authorization for Use of Military Force in 2001 to fight terrorism, and another AUMF in 2002 for the war in Iraq, Congress’ war powers have diminished since 9/11. Now many lawmakers – especially Democrats – are discussing how to rebalance war powers.

In the Senate, a similar war powers proposal by Democrat Tim Kaine faces much slimmer odds of passing, though Republican Senator Todd Young, an ex-marine who represents Indiana, and two other Republicans indicated yesterday the would back the plan.

Updated

Three Republicans voted for the resolution: Thomas Massie, Francis Rooney and Matt Gaetz. Eight Democrats voted against.

This is a “concurrent resolution” – which doesn’t go to the president for a signature, and also isn’t usually legally binding. However, House Democrats are arguing that a concurrent resolution under the War Powers Act is a special case, and is binding.

The debate over the implications of this resolution has gotten a bit... catty.

Updated

House votes to limit president's war powers

Voting mostly but not entirely along party lines, the House approved a resolution to limit the president’s war powers, 224-194 The measure compels the president to go to Congress for authorization before taking further military action against Iran.

Updated

Trump boards Air Force One en route to Ohio for a campaign rally.
Trump boards Air Force One en route to Ohio for a campaign rally. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

As the House continues to debate a war powers resolution, Donald Trump is en route to Ohio, where he’s holding a campaign rally later today. He’s accompanied today by aides Dan Scavino, Kellyanne Conway and Stephen Miller.

Updated

Evening summary

That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours.

Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • Nancy Pelosi would not commit to a specific timeline on transmitting the articles of impeachment, only telling reporters at the House speaker’s weekly press conference that she would “soon” send the articles to the Senate.
  • The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, reportedly expects Pelosi to transmit the articles as soon as tomorrow, with a trial scheduled to begin early next week, but that prediction is not based on any personal intel.
  • The House is currently debating a War Powers Resolution aimed at limiting Trump’s military actions in Iran following the Suleimani strike.
  • The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, blamed the Ukrainian passenger jet crash, which killed dozens of Canadians, on Iran, echoing reports that the plane was mistakently hit by an Iranian missile.
  • Trump claimed Suleimani was “looking to blow up our embassy” when he was killed in a US drone strike, although the president did not provide evidence to back up that claim.

Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

Updated

Trump just left for his Ohio campaign rally without stopping to talk to reporters who were gathered at the White House to pose questions about impeachment and Iran.

The president and vice president are hosting a campaign rally tonight in Toledo, Ohio, where Trump is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. ET.

Congressman Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, said his panel has no plans of calling John Bolton to testify before the Senate impeachment trial.

Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, has said he would testify in a Senate trial if he were subpoenaed, but it’s unclear whether the Republican-controlled Senate would issue a subpoena.

House Democrats previously decided against issuing a subpoena to Bolton because the former official signaled he would join a lawsuit seeking a judge’s ruling on whether to comply with a congressional subpoena or the White House guidance not to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry.

Nancy Pelosi delivered a floor speech in favor of the War Powers Resolution, which would limit Trump’s military actions in Iran.

The House speaker criticized the administration for not seeking congressional authorization before the Suleimani strike, which she called “provocative and disproportionate.”

Democratic lawmakers are racing to backtrack on their earlier comments suggesting the time had come for Nancy Pelosi to submit the articles of impeachment to the Senate.

Congressman Adam Smith already walked by his comments about the House speaker, and now senator Dianne Feinstein has abandoned her criticism of Pelosi.

The California senator had previoulsy said, “If we’re going to do it, she should send them over. I don’t see what good delay does.”

Feinstein already started to backtrack on those comments earlier today, but this statement underscores her change of heart. In it, the senator says she believes Pelosi is acting out of a “sincere desire to ensure a fair process that allows the Senate to consider available evidence -- a goal that all of us should share.”

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has signed on as a co-sponsor of a resolution from Republican senator Josh Hawley, which would make it possible to dismiss impeachment charges even if the House does not transmit the articles.

Hawley’s resolution would change Senate rules to allow senators to render a verdict on impeachment charges starting 25 calendar days after the House has impeached, even if the speaker has not yet submitted the paperwork or named impeachment managers.

But it would require two-thirds of the Senate to break a filibuster on the proposal, which seems unlikely given Republicans’ narrow majority.

Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, reportedly plans to endorse Joe Biden tomorrow as the former vice president visits the city.

The endorsement comes as polls have shown Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren leading in the crucial state, which awards nearly 500 delegates at the nominating convention.

Garcetti toyed with the idea of launching his own White House bid before ultimately deciding against entering the field.

Congressman Adam Smith, the Democratic chairman of the House armed services committee, said he was not “threatened” to walk back his earlier comments about it being time for Nancy Pelosi to transmit the articles of impeachment.

Smith said on CNN this morning, “I think it was perfectly advisable for the speaker to leverage that, get a better deal. At this point, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen, and yes, I think it is time to send the impeachment to the Senate.”

But Smith quickly walked that back in a pair of tweets, saying, “I misspoke this morning, I do believe we should do everything we can to force the Senate to have a fair trial.”

The Washington Democrat claimed he did not communicate with the speaker’s office before walking back the comments, but he added that his staff may have spoken to Pelosi’s team.

Trudeau blames Ukrainian passenger jet crash on Iran

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country and others have gathered intelligence indicating the Ukrainian passenger jet that crashed yesterday was shot down by an Iranian missile.

At least 63 Canadians were among the 176 people on board, all of whom died in the crash.

Trudeau said the attack may have been “unintentional,” echoing earlier reports that the plane may have been targeted by mistake.

As reports emerged that she would transmit the articles of impeachment as soon as tomorrow, Nancy Pelosi dodged reporters’ questions about the timing of her next steps, saying she stood by her earlier statement.

The House speaker told reporters earlier today that she did not intend to hold the articles indefinitely. “I’ll send them over when I’m ready,” Pelosi said at her weekly press conference. “And that’ll probably be soon.”

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell reportedly expects House speaker Nancy Pelosi to transmit the articles of impeachment as soon as tomorrow, clearing the way for a trial to begin early next week.

Politico reports:

While senators and aides cautioned that McConnell does not have inside intelligence, the remarks serve as key scheduling advice for senators. Most Republicans are now gearing up for the relentless pace of the impeachment trial to start on Monday or Tuesday.

‘At lunch, we all heard that. And he says: ‘That’s my best guess,’’ said Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.). ‘Which means that we’d get started next week.’

Most senators immediately left the chamber after voting on Thursday afternoon, a signal that the trial will not start until after the weekend.

House takes up War Powers Resolution

The House has now taken up the War Powers Resolution, which is aimed at limiting Trump’s military actions in Iran.

Members will debate for two hours before taking a vote, which will not be binding but will force lawmakers to take a position on the issue.

Joe Biden’s campaign manager lashed out against Facebook after the social media company announced it would continue to allow political candidates to advertise on its platform without policing content for accuracy.

The Biden team has previously criticzed Facebook for allowing Trump’s reelection campaign to air an ad that includes falsehoods about Biden’s record on Ukraine.

“Donald Trump’s campaign can (and will) still lie in political ads,” Biden’s deputy communications director said in a statement. “Facebook can (and will) still profit off it. Today’s announcement is more window dressing around their decision to allow paid misinformation.”

Meanwhile, the Trump campaign celebrated the news as a victory for democracy. “Our ads are always accurate so it’s good that Facebook won’t limit political messages because it encourages more Americans to be involved in the process,” said Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh.

Congressman Max Rose, a freshman Democrat from New York, has said he will oppose the War Powers Resolution aimed at limiting Trump’s military actions in Iran.

“Unfortunately, today’s War Powers Resolution is a non-binding resolution that simply restates existing law and sends the message that war is imminent,” Rose said in a statement explaining his vote. “I refuse to play politics with questions of war and peace.”

Trump has already encouraged Republicans to oppose the resolution, which faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

Another Democratic lawmaker who had said it was time for Nancy Pelosi to transmit the articles of impeachment is now changing her tune.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, a fellow California Democrat, previously said, “If we’re going to do it, she should send them over. I don’t see what good delay does.”

Earlier today, another Democratic lawmaker, congressman Adam Smith, had to walk back comments he made indicating he believed it was time to send the articles to the Senate.

Avenatti set for trial(s)

Former thorn in Donald Trump’s side and very much ex-omnipresence on our television screens and at the side of former client and alleged past-Trumpian paramour Stormy Daniels - attorney Michael Avenatti - had a bad day in court today.

A New York judge rejected Avenatti’s bid to dismiss a criminal charge that he defrauded a client whom he said knew about improper payments that sportswear giant Nike allegedly made to families of college basketball recruits.

US district judge Paul Gardephe in Manhattan ruled three days after refusing to dismiss two extortion charges accusing Avenatti of threatening a news conference about the payments unless Nike paid him up to $25 million.
Nike has denied wrongdoing.

“When the actual evidence is heard at trial rather than the baseless allegations in the indictment, I will be fully cleared because I did nothing wrong,” Avenatti, 48, said in a text message. “I am innocent,” Reuters reports.

The fraud count and one extortion count carry maximum 20-year prison terms, with the trial scheduled for January 21.

Avenatti also faces an April 21 trial in Manhattan for allegedly cheating StormyDaniels out of proceeds from a book contract, and a May 19 trial in Santa Ana, California for allegedly defrauding clients out of millions of dollars and lying to the Internal Revenue Service. Avenatti denies all the charges.

Michael Avenatti (left) outside Manhattan federal court last October
Michael Avenatti (left) outside Manhattan federal court last October Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP

Updated

Afternoon summary

Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • Nancy Pelosi said she would “soon” transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate, but the House speaker declined to provide a specific timeline for her next steps.
  • US officials are confident the Ukrainian passenger jet that crashed on Wednesday was accidentally shot down by Iran.
  • Trump claimed Iranian general Qassem Suleimani was “looking to blow up our embassy” when he was killed in a US drone strike, but he did not provide evidence for that.

The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

New Hampshire poll shows close race among 2020 Democrats

A newly released poll found former Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, former vice president Joe Biden and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders leading the Democratic presidential primary in New Hampshire.

According to the Monmouth University poll, Buttigieg is attracting the support of 20% of New Hampshire Democrats, putting him 1 point ahead of Biden and 2 points ahead of Sanders. Considering the margin of error of 4.9 points, the three candidates are in a statistical tie for the lead, while Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren trails slightly at 15%.

New Hampshire will hold its primary on February 11, eight days after Iowa holds the first caucuses of the race.

Although the two states are viewed as critically important for helping presidential candidates to build momentum, they are both much whiter than the broader Democratic Party, raising questions about whether the results there will indicate the eventual nominee.

The poll also does not help any additional candidates qualify for the next debate, which will be held Tuesday in Des Moines. Currently, only five candidates -- Biden, Sanders, Warren, Buttigieg and Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar -- have qualified.

Asked about John Bolton’s potential testimony during the impeachment trial, Trump again said the question of whether to subpoena his former national security adviser would be left up to the Senate.

“I always got along with him,” Trump said. “He didn’t get along with some of our people, but that’s really going to be up to the Senate.”

But the US president interestingly noted he would confer with his lawyers to determine how to “protect presidential privilege,” indicating the White House might seek to limit Bolton’s testimony.

“We have to protect presidential privilege for me but for future presidents,” Trump told reporters attending his environmental regulation event.

Speaking to reporters during his environmental regulation event, Trump said he had come up with a “beautiful” name for NATO Middle East, emphasizing his desire for the international alliance to get more involved in the region.

The US president also said that the name of the renegotiated North American trade deal -- USMCA to stand for for the United States, Mexico and Canada agreement -- was inspired by the song “YMCA.”

As reports emerged that US officials believe Iran struck down the Ukrainian airliner that went down yesterday, Trump said he thought the crash may have been the result of a “mistake” on the “other side.”

The Guardian’s Dan Sabbagh and Michael Safi have more details on the crash:

The Ukrainian passenger jet that crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran on Wednesday was accidentally shot down by an Iranian anti-aircraft missile, western security officials believe.

UK sources told the Guardian that the UK had seen US intelligence that suggested that the plane was hit by an Iranian air defence missile.

Separately, officials told US media they had identified the signature from an Iranian anti-aircraft missile battery being activated shortly before the aircraft crashed into countryside south-west of the Iranian capital, killing all on 176 on board. The officials also said they had identified the infrared signature from two suspected missile launches followed shortly afterwards by the infra red blip from the burning and fatally disabled aircraft.

Trump says Suleimani was 'looking to blow up our embassy'

Speaking to reporters during an event regarding environmental regulation, Trump said the US targeted Iranian general Qassem Suleimani because he was “looking to blow up our embassy.”

“We did it because they were looking to blow up our embassy,” the US president said. “We also did it for other reasons that were very obvious. Somebody died, one of our military people died, people were badly wounded just a week before.”

US officials have said Suleimani was planning an “imminent” attack on Americans, but they have declined to provide further details about the threat.

It’s unclear whether the planned embassy strike Trump described was the same “imminent” attack that US officials have referenced.

US reportedly believes Iran shot down Ukrainian airliner

US officials reportedly believe Iran shot down the Ukraine International Airlines plane that crashed yesterday, killing all 176 people on board.

According to CBS News, the plane may have been mistakenly targeted just hours after Iran launched its missile attack in response to the US strike on Iranian general Qassem Suleimani.

Nancy Pelosi was wrapping up her news conference but came back to the podium to take a question about whether she would attend the San Francisco 49ers game this weekend.

The House speaker also laughed along with reporters as she took a question about whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will move to California now that they’re stepping back from their royal duties.

Pelosi says it is 'for sure' time to get rid of AUMF in Iraq

Nancy Pelosi said it is “for sure” time to get rid of the Authorization for Use of Military Force in Iraq, which the Trump administration is using as its legal justification for launching military missions against Iran.

But the House speaker noted the complicated nature of crafting a new AUMF, which would have to determine the timing, geography and scope of conflict.

Pelosi earlier criticized Trump for launching the strike against Iranian general Qassem Suleimani without seeking congressional authorization.

Nancy Pelosi’s comments this morning, saying she would “soon” transmit the articles of impeachment, cast doubt on the possibility of starting a Senate trial next week.

A number of senators, including some Democrats, had said they hoped the trial could start next week, but Pelosi did not provide a specific timeline for when the articles would be sent over.

Although Nancy Pelosi said she would “soon” transmit the articles of impeachment, the House speaker did not provide a specific timeline.

“I think we should move smartly and strategically,” Pelosi said of Democrats’ thinking on holding back the articles.

Pelosi says she will not hold articles indefinitely

Asked how long she was willing to delay transmitting the articles of impeachment, Nancy Pelosi argued her stalling had been successful because of the developments that have unfolded in the past few weeks.

The House speaker pointed to the release of administration emails revealing new details about the freeze on Ukraine’s military aid and former national security adviser John Bolton’s willingness to testify.

However, Pelosi said she did not plan to hold the articles indefinitely. “I’ll send them over when I’m ready,” the speaker said. “And that’ll probably be soon.”

Pelosi expresses need to see 'arena' of impeachment trial

Speaking to reporters at her weekly press conference, Nancy Pelosi repeated her desire to understand the parameters of a Senate trial before transmitting the articles of impeachment.

“As I’ve said right from the start: we need to see the arena in which we are sending our managers,” Pelosi said. “Is that too much to ask?”

The speaker added that she was concerned senators would not live up to their oath to hold an impartial trial to determine whether Trump should be removed from office.

“Nonetheless, at some point, we would hope that we would see from them what the terms of engagement will be,” Pelosi said. “We are ready, we are proud of our defense of the Constitution of the United States.”

Nancy Pelosi told reporters that the House would today pass a war powers resolution aimed at limiting Trump’s military actions in Iran.

Trump has told Republicans to vote against the resolution, and it faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi has taken the podium for her weekly press conference at the Capitol.

She opened her remarks by saying lawmakers would be celebrating the recent wedding of congresswoman Barbara Lee, who was married on new year’s eve in California.

Pelosi: 'I know exactly when' to send impeachment articles

Entering the Capitol this morning, House speaker Nancy Pelosi said she knows “exactly when” to transmit the articles of impeachment.

But Pelosi added, “I won’t be telling you right now.″

The speaker said her thinking on the matter has not changed. “Same thing I’ve said before,” Pelosi told the AP. “We’d like to see how we’re going to proceed, and then we’ll know who to send.

“I have an obligation to my members, especially those on the committees, to do justice to their work.”

Pelosi is expected to speak to reporters at her weekly press conference in the next couple minutes.

Trump was the target of some Twitter jokes after he mistakenly referred to the common retirement fund 401K as a “409K.”

The typo immediately set off a round of Twitter jokes about needing to set up a 409K.

Democratic congressman walks back impeachment comments

Democratic congressman Adam Smith, the chairman of the House armed services committee, walked back his comments this morning about Nancy Pelosi transmitting the articles of impeachment.

Smith said this morning that he believed the time had come for the House speaker to send the articles to the Senate.

“I think it was perfectly advisable for the speaker to leverage that, get a better deal,” Smith told CNN. “At this point, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen, and yes, I think it is time to send the impeachment to the Senate, and let Mitch McConnell be responsible for the fairness of the trial. He ultimately is.”

Another House Democrat, freshman Ben McAdams of Utah, has joined the growing chorus of lawmakers saying it’s time for Nancy Pelosi to transmit the articles of impeachment.

Pelosi has previously shown a high level of concern for freshman lawmakers like McAdams, who will face difficult reelection races later this year.

Asked about Democratic congressman Adam Smith’s comments this morning on transmitting the articles of impeachment, Nancy Pelosi offered no comment.

Smith, the chairman of the armed services committee, told CNN this morning that he believed the time had come to send the articles to the Senate.

Pelosi has a press conference scheduled for 10:45 a.m. ET, where she will likely address her timeline for transmitting the articles.

Some Senate Democrats have said they think it’s time for House speaker Nancy Pelosi to transmit the articles of impeachment.

“If we’re going to do it, she should send them over. I don’t see what good delay does,” senator Dianne Feinstein said.

Senator Chris Murphy predicted the impeachment trial would soon get underway. “My expectation is that we’ll be able to start this trial next week,” Murphy said. “The leverage over Republicans exists in the votes we take inside the trial.”

And senator Joe Manchin similarly said it was time to send over the articles, but he said Pelosi’s delay strategy had at lease one success, pointing to former national security adviser John Bolton’s statement about his willingness to testify if subpoenaed.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell again made clear yesterday that he had no intention of allowing Nancy Pelosi’s decision to delay sending the articles of impeachment to affect the parameters of the Senate trial.

The Senate leader reportedly met with Trump yesterday to discuss the looming impeachment trial.

CNN reports:

McConnell, one of the sources said, walked Trump through the trial format and discussed how Senate Republicans were reacting to the developments around the trial.

McConnell was at the White House to introduce Trump to a judge, and later the Senate leader and the President met privately.

The senator from Kentucky has not shared with the White House the text of the resolution that would set up the trial, according to one of the sources, who insists there’s no negotiation with the GOP leader’s office on how the language should be drafted.

Democrats have previously complained about improper coordination between the White House and McConnell’s office as the Senate moves toward the impeachment trial, and this meeting with Trump will only intensify those gripes.

Pelosi under pressure to transmit articles of impeachment

Good morning, live blog readers!

House speaker Nancy Pelosi is coming under increasing pressure to transmit the articles of impeachment, as even some of her own Democratic caucus members say it’s time to advance the issue to the Senate.

Democratic congressman Adam Smith, the chair of the armed services committee, said this morning that he thought the time had come to send the articles to the Senate.

“I think it was perfectly advisable for the speaker to leverage that, get a better deal,” Smith told CNN. “At this point, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen, and yes, I think it is time to send the impeachment to the Senate, and let Mitch McConnell be responsible for the fairness of the trial. He ultimately is.”

Pelosi will hold her weekly press conference later this morning, which could provide some clues on when the Senate might be able to hold a trial on whether to remove Donald Trump from office.

Nancy Pelosi arrives for a briefing on developments with Iran.
Nancy Pelosi arrives for a briefing on developments with Iran. Photograph: Alexander Drago/Reuters

Here’s what else the blog is keeping its eye on:

  • Trump will announce proposed National Environmental Policy Act regulations and receive his intelligence briefing before traveling to Toledo, Ohio, for a campaign rally alongside Pence.
  • The House will vote on a resolution to limit Trump’s military actions in Iran.
  • Joe Biden is campaigning in California, touring the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project in Long Beach and holding a fundraiser.

The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

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