By Annaleise Parsons | Staff Writer
After the House of Representatives impeached then-President Donald Trump for inciting violence during the Capitol riots, the Senate became stuck between pushing then-President-elect Joe Biden’s agenda after inauguration or holding an impeachment trial after Trump leaves office.
Now that he is in office, a key step to Biden’s presidency is confirming his Cabinet picks in the Senate to help push forward his agenda. Biden also needs Republican senators to help pass his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill.
In order to impeach Trump, Democrats also need 17 Republican senators’ votes along with the 50 Democrat senators’ votes because the Senate must have 2/3 majority vote in order for Trump to be convicted.
Republican senators have said that they are not likely to vote to confirm Biden’s Cabinet picks and have an impeachment trial for Trump at the same time.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said, “[Doing both is] not going to be possible.”
Senators in both parties feel as if the impeachment time has passed and that Joe Biden’s inauguration should symbolize moving forward with a new administration.
The Democratic senators are hoping for a quick impeachment trial since there is only one article of an impeachment: inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6.
“It’s going to be difficult for Biden to have a focused plan on what to do and what to do with [the trial] in the Constitution regarding impeachment,” said Alice Shelly, San Antonio sophomore and vice president of Baylor Democrats. “I have heard that Congress says the timing is going to be good, but it is going to be a difficult decision.”
Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the Capitol riots were “provoked by the president” and that the impeachment vote will be a matter of conscience.
The decision that the House and Senate both have to make is when to push for the new administration and finish the impeachment trial for the Trump administration.
Editor’s Note: Attempts were made to reach conservative sources at Baylor, but no one was made immediately available.
