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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 11 January 2021

Impeachment push builds, 2 GOP senators want Trump to resign

Continued from Front Biden's Electoral College of the 100-member Senate
win. The group "will suspend must support a conviction.
The strategy would be to contributions to those law- The Senate was set to be
condemn the president's makers who voted to un- split evenly at 50-50, but
actions swiftly but delay an dermine our democracy," under Democratic control
impeachment trial in the Kim said. once Vice President-elect
Senate for 100 days. That Citigroup did not single out Kamala Harris and the two
would allow President-elect lawmakers aligned with Democrats who won Geor-
Joe Biden to focus on other Trump's effort to overturn gia's Senate runoff elec-
priorities as soon as he is in- the election, but said it tions last week are sworn
augurated Jan. 20. would be pausing all fed- in. Harris would be the Sen-
Rep. Jim Clyburn, the third- eral political donations for ate's tie-breaking vote.
ranking House Democrat the first three months of the House Democrats were
and a top Biden ally, laid year. Citi's head of global considering two possible
out the ideas Sunday as government affairs, Can- packages of votes: one on
the country came to grips In this Jan. 3, 2017, file photo, Vice President Joe Biden, right, di Wolff, said in a Friday setting up a commission to
with the siege at the Capi- after administers the Senate oath of office to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, memo to employees, "We invoke the 25th Amend-
tol by Trump loyalists trying R-Alaska, as her husband Verne Martell holds a Bible, during want you to be assured ment to remove Trump
to overturn the election re- a mock swearing in ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber on that we will not support from office and one on the
sults. Capitol Hill in Washington as the 115th Congress begins. candidates who do not re- impeachment charge of
"Let's give President-elect Associated Press spect the rule of law." abuse of power.
Biden the 100 days he can Sen. Lisa Murkowski of out." A third Republican, House leaders, furious af- Rep. Jim McGovern, D-
needs to get his agenda off Alaska in calling for Trump Sen. Roy Blunt, of Missouri, ter the insurrection, ap- Mass., who was part of the
and running," Clyburn said. to "resign and go away as did not go that far, but on pear determined to act weekend leadership call,
Pressure was mounting for soon as possible." Sunday he warned Trump against Trump despite the said he expected a "week
Trump to leave office even "I think the president has to be "very careful" in his fi- short timeline. Late Satur- of action" in the House.
before his term ended disqualified himself from nal days in office. day, House Speaker Nancy While many have criticized
amid alarming concerns of ever, certainly, serving in Corporate America began Pelosi, D-Calif., convened Trump, Republicans have
more unrest ahead of the office again," Toomey said. to tie its reaction to the a conference call with her said that impeachment
inauguration. The president "I don't think he is electable Capitol riots by tying them leadership team and sent would be divisive in a time
whipped up the mob that in any way." to campaign contributions. a letter to her colleagues of unity.
stormed the Capitol, sent Murkowski, who has long Blue Cross Blue Shield Asso- reiterating that Trump must Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.,
lawmakers into hiding and voiced her exasperation ciation's CEO and President be held accountable. She said that instead of coming
left five dead. with Trump's conduct in of- Kim Keck said it will not con- told her caucus, now scat- together, Democrats want
Republican Sen. Pat fice, told the Anchorage tribute to those lawmakers tered across the country to "talk about ridiculous
Toomey of Pennsylvania Daily News on Friday that — all Republicans — who on a two-week recess, to things like 'Let's impeach
on Sunday joined Republi- Trump simply "needs to get supported challenges to "be prepared to return to a president'" with just days
Washington this week" but left in office. Nebraska Sen.
did not say outright that Ben Sasse said he would
there would be a vote on take a look at any articles
impeachment. that the House sent over. Il-
"It is absolutely essential linois Rep. Adam Kinzinger,
that those who perpetrat- a frequent Trump critic, said
ed the assault on our de- he would "vote the right
mocracy be held account- way" if the matter were put
able," Pelosi wrote. "There in front of him.
must be a recognition that The Democratic effort to
this desecration was insti- stamp Trump's presidential
gated by the President." record — for the second
Senate Majority Leader time — with the indelible
Sen. Mitch McConnell, mark of impeachment had
R-Ky., has said an impeach- advanced rapidly since
ment trial could not begin the riot.
under the current calendar Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I,
before Inauguration Day, a leader of the House ef-
Jan. 20. fort to draft impeachment
Clyburn said that Pelosi "will articles accusing Trump of
make the determination as inciting insurrection, said
when is the best time" to Sunday that his group had
send articles of impeach- 200-plus co-sponsors.
ment to the Senate if and The articles, if passed by the
when they are passed by House, could then be trans-
the House. mitted to the Senate for a
Another idea being con- trial, with senators acting
sidered was to have a as jurors to acquit or con-
separate vote that would vict Trump. If convicted,
prevent Trump from ever Trump would be removed
holding office again. That from office and succeed-
could potentially only need ed by the vice president.
a simple majority vote of 51 It would be the first time a
senators, unlike impeach- U.S. president had been im-
ment, in which two-thirds peached twice. q