Her. Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin Graham Brown says Graham yelled at the officer for not doing ‘enough’ to protect senators Lawmakers who have been briefed on ‘horrifying’, ‘chilling’ security threats ahead of Trump’s inauguration Trump’s legacy is divisions and disunity (RS.C.) urges president-elect Joe Biden
Joe Biden A growing number of GOP lawmakers say they support impeachment House passes measure calling on Pence to remove Trump Disney, Walmart says they will block donations to lawmakers who objected to Electoral College results MORE to convince congressional Democrats to drop plans to impeach an impeachment lawsuit President Trump
Donald Trump More GOP lawmakers say they support impeachment YouTube temporarily blocks uploading of new content to Trump House channel passes measure calling on Pence to remove Trump MORE.
Graham, who has spoken out against the democratic impeachment efforts, made the plea to Biden in a series of tweets after the House voted on a bipartisan basis to impeach Trump, making him the first president to be impeached twice.
“It is now time for President-elect Biden to take the opportunity and order his party to call off the post-presidential impeachment proceedings,” Graham wrote in the tweets.
Graham added that Biden should urge congressional leadership to step down, because continuing a process after Trump leaves office would be a “destructive force” for both the GOP senator. presidency as the country.
“Every president is subject to the laws of the country. However, impeachment is political and will further divide the nation,” he added.
There is no sign that Biden will spur House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiHouse passes measure calling on Pence to remove Trump (D-Calif.) Or Democratic Leader of the Senate Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerWoman Interrupts Schumer’s Press Conference, Calls Him “Racist Anti-Semitic” Overnight Energy: EPA Rule Exempts Many Polluting Industries from Future Air Regulations | Former Michigan Governor Indicted Over Flint Water Crisis: Report | White House officials expelled after paper doubts over climate science Senate to be briefed on inauguration security after Capitol attack MORE (NY) to step down even if an impeachment lawsuit could eat up weeks after the start of his administration or if the Democratic leaders would agree to attempt such a procedural gamble.
Biden has avoided publicly addressing the impeachment efforts, indicating that he would leave that to Congressional leaders while focusing on legislative priorities and endorsing his cabinet.
He announced to reporters this week that he has reached out to the Senate MP to discuss whether the chamber can split its time between legislation or appointments and an impeachment process, something the Senate did not do during Trump’s 2020 trial.
“I hope the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their constitutional impeachment responsibilities while also working on this country’s other urgent matters,” Biden said in a statement Wednesday.
Although the House voted on Wednesday to impeach Trump, with the support of 10 House Republicans, it is unclear exactly when a Senate trial will begin. House Democratic leadership did not announce their timeline, and Pelosi did not respond to questions from reporters about timing at a press conference shortly after the vote.
But the trial will take place during Biden’s reign after the majority leader leader in the senate Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHouse passes measure calling on Pence to remove Trump Trump, House GOP relationship suddenly deteriorates Kinzinger says he will vote to impeach Trump MORE (R-Ky.) Rejected a request from Schumer to use a 2004 authority granted to the leadership, allowing them to reinstate the Senate early. Without exercising that power, or without the consent of any senator, the Senate will not return until January 19, the day before Biden is sworn in.
“The House of Representatives has voted to impeach the president. The senate process will now begin at our first regular meeting following receipt of the House’s article,” McConnell said in a statement.
According to a memo circulated by McConnell late last week, the first time the Senate can begin hearing the impeachment articles is at 1:00 p.m., either January 20, the day Biden is sworn in, or January 21, the day after he is sworn in. .
McConnell has been close to Trump for the past four years, but, underscoring the GOP’s anger at the president in the aftermath of last week’s attack, is not closing the door on voting to condemn him.
“I have not yet made a final decision on how to vote and I intend to listen to the legal arguments when they are presented to the Senate,” McConnell wrote in the letter to the caucus.
While much of the caucus has been silent about the house’s impeachment efforts, Graham is one of many GOP senators who have come out against it.
He has also been calling his GOP colleagues for several days urging them to oppose Trump’s conviction as part of the Senate trial, a spokesman confirmed to The Hill earlier Wednesday.
“This was his own initiative, not a specific request from the White House,” the spokesman added.