WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th February, 2021) US senators approved on Tuesday procedures and timelines for former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial and moved to debate on the constitutionality of the process.
The resolution "providing for procedures concerning the article of impeachment against Donald John Trump, former President of the United States", S.Res.47, was adopted by a vote of 89-11.
On Tuesday, the Senate has four hours to hear both side's conflicting arguments and finally vote on whether Trump is subject to its jurisdiction. House managers, who serve as prosecutors, insist that it would set a dangerous precedent to declare a former official unimpeachable for misdeeds in his final days in office.
"The Presidents can't commit grave offenses in their final days and escape any congressional response. That's not how our Constitution works," Congressman Joe Neguse said. "You don't need to be a constitutional scholar to know that the argument President Trump asks you to adopt is not just wrong, it's dangerous. And you don't have to take my word for it. This body... has reached that same conclusion in one form or another over the past 200 years in multiple occasions.
He cited precedent and opinions of "over 150 constitutional scholars, experts, judges, conservative, liberal, you name it." "They overwhelmingly have reached the same conclusion that, of course, you can try, convict and disqualify a former President," Neguse said.
His colleague Jamie Raskin argued that a president is forbidden to commit crimes and misdemeanors "at any point when he is in office."
"There can be no doubt it's a valid and legitimate impeachment. The Senate has the sole power to try all impeachment's. All means all. There are no exceptions," he said.
Trump's lawyers, who will speak later, argue that impeachment is designed to remove officials from office and therefore is not applicable to a private citizen.
Unless the case is dismissed on constitutional grounds, each side - the House of Representatives managers and Trump's lawyers - will be given 16 hours over two days to present their case.
There will be equal time for Senators' questions and for closing arguments as well as an opportunity to hold deliberations if the chamber so chooses. Senators will afterwards vote on the Article of Impeachment and, if the former President is convicted by an unlikely two-thirds majority, will proceed to a verdict on whether he is "qualified to enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States."
Trump's lawyers urge the Senate to dismiss as unconstitutional and "self-evidently wrong" allegations that former President had a role in the January 6 attack on the Capitol by his loyalists who sought to prevent the congressional certification of his election loss.
