An irate Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-01) took to the U.S. House floor on Thursday after House Democratic leadership pushed sending the two articles of impeachment passed against President Donald Trump to the Senate until at least January 7.
The House on Thursday adjourned until that date without approving its impeachment managers, or prosecutors. The managers would be the ones to ultimately deliver the articles to the Senate so a trial in the upper chamber can then begin.
However, the delay could be even longer than until January 7, as Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has flirted with the idea of holding the articles from the Senate as she tries to get concessions from Senate GOP leadership on how they will conduct their trial.
A demonstrative Byrne, frequently pounding the lectern, pointed to what he views as hypocrisy in Pelosi’s handling of the impeachment process.
“So for weeks we were told that we couldn’t wait, we had to go forward with impeachment before Christmas — that the republic was at stake,” he decried. “And then this House passed a purely partisan impeachment yesterday, and the Speaker has decided to hold the articles of impeachment.”
“That underscores the word ‘sham.’ That puts an exclamation point after the word ‘sham.’ That shows what a ridiculous exercise we just went through,” he continued.
Byrne concluded, “We can’t dictate to the Senate how they handle their trial, they get to pick that. This shows that they’ve got cold feet on the other side. They don’t have a case, they can’t win a fair trial in the Senate and they know it. And they’re afraid to send the articles over there where it will get a fair trial and not the kangaroo court we had [in the House].”
For weeks we were told that we couldn’t wait on #impeachment, and now @SpeakerPelosi has decided to hold onto the articles? That puts an exclamation point after the word “sham!” Democrats’ cold feet prove they have no case against @realDonaldTrump! pic.twitter.com/83OQ9QhXvC
— Rep. Bradley Byrne (@RepByrne) December 19, 2019
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Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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