By Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – It’s been three weeks since the U.S. House with only Democratic support passed two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump and Illinois’ Republican delegation, even though they didn’t support the articles, want the House to send them to the Senate.
Trump was impeached Dec. 18 without any Republican support. The two articles majority Democrats passed were for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress over allegations the president withhold military aid from Ukraine in exchange for a domestic political favor. The president has denied any wrongdoing.
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, said the issue of impeachment has taken all the oxygen out of Washington. He said he was baffled as to why House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had not sent the articles to the Senate.
“She hasn’t done that, if it was so urgent to create the first-ever partisan impeachment process in the House then why isn’t it so urgent enough to continue that process as our constitution says so to put it in the Senate’s hands now?” Davis said.
Pelosi has said she wants to see what the Senate process will entail.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Democrats are looking for more witnesses and documents beyond what the House heard before they approved the articles.
“Those are things which I think should be part of this trial record so that regardless of the outcome of the trial, the American people believe that it was handled fairly in a dispassionate and non-partisan way,” Durbin said.
Durbin said if the president believes the impeachment isn’t legitimate, he will have a chance to prove that in a trial in the Senate.
“He will have his managers on the floor of the Senate when the articles are presented to us,” Durbin said. “They can certainly call witnesses. They can bring evidence before us, but so far the record is not very strong for that to happen.”
It’s unclear when the two articles of impeachment will be sent over to the Senate.
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, voted against the articles in the House. He said if Democrats were confident enough to impeach in the House, they should send the articles to Republicans in the Senate.
“They talk about this great case that they have for impeachment and how proud they are of it, yeah, of course, they should,” LaHood said. “Is she scared? What is the reason why she hasn’t sent it over to the Senate? I anticipate she will and I think it will be over quickly.”
Once the articles are sent, the Senate must take up that issue and only that issue until it’s resolved with either the President’s acquittal or removal.
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