The House of Representatives has launched an investigation into impeachment: what will happen next

There are voices among Democrats that they need to act quickly, but if Trump is charged, they will be considered by the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans.

Фото: Depositphotos

Democrats in the House of Representatives are not going to delay in their desire to impeach President Donald Trump: the first hearings and testimony will take place this week, writes “Voice of America«.

Democratic leaders instructed the committees to act quickly and not lose momentum after it became known that Trump asked President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky to investigate the activities of his potential rival in the 2020 election of Joe Biden and his family.

On the subject: Impeachment to Trump: how the process works and whether democrats will remove it from power

The process takes place despite the fact that on Friday, lawmakers left Washington for a two-week vacation.

Adam Schiff, chairman of the House’s Intelligence Intelligence Committee committee, said his committee would “hear immediately” hearings and send out summonses. Schiff’s committee and two other House committees — on international affairs and on oversight and reform — have planned to receive State Department testimony from Trump’s contacts with Ukraine starting this week.

Photo: Office of the Internet-Representative of the President of Ukraine

What will happen next if the Democrats continue to move towards impeachment?

Interrupted Vacation

The House Intelligence Committee committee members were told that they should be prepared to return to the capital during the holidays. Congresswoman Jackie Spear said that she has already canceled participation in some events.

“We are expected to be here [in Washington],” she said.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi told the Democrats that on the issue of impeachment “it is necessary to forge the iron while it is hot”, after which the committees began to act in an accelerated mode.

Democrat Congressman Jim Himes said the plan is "forming very fast."

“What I know for sure is that the pace will not slow down,” he said.

Congressman Democrat Raja Krishnamurti said they would have to "work harder" and "sleep less."

There are many witnesses, but not enough time.

Schiff’s committee negotiates an interview with an informant who launched a political storm by sending a report to the general inspector of the intelligence community, where he said that Trump called for an investigation into the Biden in a July telephone conversation with Zelensky.

Photo: White House

Speaking on the ABC Channel This Week program, Schiff said his committee agreed to hear an informant who testifies “very soon.” Schiff said the exact date depends in part on how quickly Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire completes the verification process of the whistleblower lawyers.

“We will, of course, be by our side and see to it that the acting director does not drag out this check,” Schiff said.

A whistleblower report whose identity was not disclosed was published last week after Maguire had not passed it to Congress for several weeks. The document says that White House employees took steps to “restrict access” to the details of Trump and Zelensky's telephone conversation by putting all the data about him in a separate computer system.

Inspector General Michael Atkinson, who examined the complaint, will testify at a closed intelligence committee hearing on Friday, an informed source said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the committee’s internal discussions.

Committee members say they also want to speak with presidential aides who were present during the call, as well as with Presidential Personal Attorney Rudi Giuliani, who was demanding an investigation into the Biden.

“I would not collaborate [with Schiff, but if Trump] decides that he wants me to testify, then of course I will testify,” Giuliani said on the ABC channel on Sunday. According to Schiff, he has not yet decided whether he intends to hear Giuliani.

Democrats say they hope to complete the investigation in a few weeks, perhaps even before Thanksgiving.

Impeachment articles

After the committees complete their investigations, they will present their findings to the Legal Committee of the House of Representatives, which oversees the impeachment process.

Фото: Depositphotos

Congresswoman Democrat Pramila Jayapal, who is a member of the legal committee, says the intelligence committee will be the "star of the show" in investigating Trump’s actions related to Ukraine.

The Legal Committee will prepare impeachment articles, which, if approved, will be sent to the full discussion of the chamber.

Democrat Jerrold Nadler, chairman of the legal committee, said he wants a resolution on impeachment to be adopted by the end of the year. Jayapal says that such deadlines are "fully" suitable, and that it is planned to complete the work before January or, "maybe sooner."

Republican Resistance

The Republicans focused their indignation over impeachment on the Democrats, condemning the investigation as a new version of a two-year trial on Russia's interference in the 2016 election.

Congressman Devin Nunez, a senior Republican spokesperson on the intelligence committee, says Democrats "don't need answers, they need a public performance."

“They’ve been trying to review the results of the 2016 election since President Trump took office,” said Kevin McCarthy, leader of the Republican minority in the House of Representatives.

Slow Senate

Even if the House of Representatives approves Trump's accusations, then the Senate should conduct its proceedings.

Some Republicans in the Senate have expressed concern about Trump’s contacts with Ukraine, but little indicates that the level of dissatisfaction will be sufficient to convict the president, who still enjoys great support from the Republican Party. If Trump is presented for impeachment, it will take two-thirds of the senators' votes to convict him and remove him from office.

A weekend weekend memorandum of republican senators acknowledges that Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell will have difficulty blocking the impeachment trial, but he can redirect impeachment articles approved by the House of Representatives to one of the committees.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, a Republican, said his committee would investigate the Ukrainian issue, but without haste.

“Don't expect us to move at the speed of light, which is likely to happen in the House of Representatives,” he said.

Historical background

Trump will be included in a very small group if the House of Representatives submits him to impeachment. Only two presidents submitted to impeachment: Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. Both were acquitted by the Senate.

President Richard Nixon, threatened with impeachment, resigned in 1974.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• During a stay in New York, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky Meets with representatives of the Ukrainian community of the United States, where he thanked them for supporting Ukraine. Zelensky called American Ukrainians "our best diplomats, our lobbyists."
• Congressmen became interested in a telephone conversation between the two presidents as part of an investigation into whether Trump and his lawyer Rudolf Giuliani tried put pressure on Ukraine in order to help Trump's election campaign in 2020 year.
• Democrats announce formal request for US impeachment, which was triggered by a conversation between Ukrainian and American leaders.
• US Department of State published conversation transcript President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky and President of the United States Donald Trump.

Read also on ForumDaily:

American impeachment story: how it was and how it ended for US presidents

Informant: The White House wanted to hide the content of the conversation Trump with Zelensky

The Kremlin hopes to keep the secrets of Trump's negotiations with Putin

'Two Wars' and Trump's invitation to Kiev: how the meeting of the presidents of Ukraine and the USA went

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.