If so, it would fit into my theory of pushing this out to next October.
There must be some procedure available for the House to impeach the President and then never actually refer those charges to the Senate.There is, but the timing does not favor the Democrat strategy.
The procedure would be to vote to impeach in the late stages of the Congressional session (say, October 2020 before the election), hoping that the October Surprise is enough to keep Trump from winning. Then the Democrats would delay the Senate (which would likely go into recess until after Thanksgiving) until it adjourns sine die at the end of the year, claiming a lame duck Senate shouldn't hold a trial on a President who just faced the voters.
By adjourning sine die, all business before the Senate would be deemed completed, and the articles of impeachment will expire with all other pending legislation. If Trump wins reelection in November 2020, the next House would have to start all over in January 2021.
-PJ
Assuming Democrats still control the House.
Could a lame duck Democrat House pass impeachment? Sure but it would have zero credibility and would be seen as a partisan stunt.
Wouldn’t even come to the Senate. New GOP House can withdraw the articles of impeachment.
nadler has been mute. I’m guessing the articles have already been written.
The question is ( and I think the answer is yes ) Will Peolosi have a full house vote before she sends this to judiciary ?
Now that alone forces the Senate trial into 2020 but there's no viable waiting-until-October-2020 scenario because that would give us time to impeach Sondland's testimony, find EC and interview him (clearly, the FBI already knows where he is), flip the script on Vindman and Jenn-Jenn (and block their cash-in on the book deals) ... anyway, the Democrats actually FEAR the Senate going all-in on a trial ... and here's MY prediction: The Senate is going all-in on a trial.