It’s Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy. 

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IMPEACHMENT, TAKE 2
By Daniel Bush, @DanielBush ([link removed])
Senior political reporter

The first time House Democrats impeached President Donald Trump, the process took several months. This time it’s happening in a matter of days, just as Trump prepares to leave office.

Democrats laid the groundwork Tuesday for a vote requesting that Vice President Mike Pence invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office in response to his role inciting the riot at the Capitol last week.

Pence has signaled he won’t back the plan, but the measure will pave the way for a full House floor vote to impeach the president one week before his term expires

The details surrounding the timing of the impeachment vote were still being worked out Tuesday as Democrats rushed to finalize their plans. A floor vote on whether to impeach is expected Wednesday but could slide to Thursday if Republicans launch objections that slow down the process.

Democrats and Republicans sparred Tuesday in a Rules Committee meeting setting guidelines for the votes to impeach Trump, a preview of what will likely be a contentious day on the House floor Wednesday.

Democrats are furious with Trump for a speech he gave last week, rallying supporters before they marched on the Capitol. Pro-Trump rioters, fired up from Trump’s calls to “fight” the election results and repeated misinformation about the winner, stormed the building and clashed with United States Capitol Police. Five people died and dozens more were injured.

The riot temporarily stopped Congress from counting Electoral College votes in President-elect Joe Biden’s victory as lawmakers had to be evacuated for their safety. Congress resumed the count after an hours-long delay, the last step in the formal process of accepting Biden’s win over Trump in the November election.

“The President incited a deadly insurrection against America that targeted the very heart of our Democracy,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday. Trump “represents an imminent threat to our Constitution, our Country and the American people, and he must be removed from office immediately.”

Among Democrats, support for a second impeachment vote against Trump grew rapidly after the riot even though there is little chance he will actually be removed from office before Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sent a memo ([link removed]) to Senate Republicans last week that made clear the upper chamber would not take up the impeachment proceedings until Jan. 19 at the earliest -- just one day before Trump leaves office.

With Democrats set to take control of the Senate after winning two runoff races in Georgia last week, it will fall to the incoming majority leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to decide whether to proceed with a divisive impeachment trial in the first weeks of Biden’s presidency -- a critical time usually spent confirming Cabinet nominees and laying out a new administration’s legislative agenda.

The Senate has never held an impeachment trial for a former president, making the prospect of a trial against Trump even more uncertain.

Last year, it took the Senate roughly three weeks to launch and complete an impeachment trial, after the House charged Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of justice in connection to his efforts to have Ukraine investigate Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, by withholding aid.

It’s unclear exactly how a trial against Trump would work if he is no longer in office, or how long it would take. The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted Trump last year, and even with Democrats taking over there still may not be enough votes in the Senate for a conviction, which requires a two-thirds vote.

Many of Trump’s allies in Congress expressed outrage over the riot, but nevertheless argued that an impeachment vote with one week left in his presidency would deepen political divisions rather than bring the country closer together.

“A second impeachment will do more harm than good,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote in a series of tweets Monday. Graham, a longtime ally of Trump who last week said “enough is enough” when it came to the president, wrote that a vote to remove Trump from office with just days left in his presidency would “be a major step backward.”

Trump slammed the push for impeachment in remarks to reporters Tuesday at the White House.

“It’s really a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics. It’s ridiculous. It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Trump said, adding that it “is causing tremendous anger.”

The impeachment fight intensified the already tense atmosphere surrounding Trump’s final days as president. The FBI warned Monday of potential armed protests in Washington, D.C., and at state capitols around the country in the days leading up to Biden’s inauguration.

If further unrest takes place at the Capitol, Trump won’t be there to see it. Last week, he said he would skip the inauguration.

The session is expected to begin Wednesday at 9 a.m. EST. Watch HERE ([link removed]) .

FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Ian Couzens, @iancouzenz ([link removed])
Politics production assistant

How South Carolina’s federal prosecutors could bring charges against Capitol rioters ([link removed]) - Jan. 7. The U.S. government's Anti-Riot Act makes it a federal crime to travel across state lines with plans to incite a riot or participate in one. Why it matters: Federal prosecutors in South Carolina and in every state have limited jurisdiction over crimes committed at the nation's capital, but they can use the Anti-Riot Act to bring charges against residents who participated in last week's insurrection in Washington, D.C. -- Post and Courier

Trump's sale of Arctic refuge drilling rights earns just a fraction of GOP prediction ([link removed]) - Jan. 6. The Trump administration auctioned off oil and gas rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for the first time Wednesday, selling off 1.6 million acres along the coast, primarily to the state of Alaska, for just $14.4 million — far short of the projected $1 billion a 2017 bill projected the government would earn alongside a second sale. Why it matters: The sale was rushed through at the end of Trump’s presidency as Democrats, who have long opposed drilling in the refuge for environmental reasons, are poised to take full control of Congress and the White House. -- The Hill

Capitol security readies for Biden's inauguration, without Trump ([link removed]) - Jan. 8. On top of standard inaugural security preparations, National Guard troops from at least six states have agreed to assist law enforcement in Washington for the next 30 days. Why it matters: Wednesday's attack on the Capitol raised concern about Biden’s safety and that of lawmakers in attendance at his inauguration. -- Christian Science Monitor

Many State Capitols Have Security Holes ([link removed]) - Jan. 11. Less than two-thirds of state capitols have metal detectors, and about 20 specifically allow guns inside. Why it matters: With promises of more violence circulating on the internet, these security gaps are at risk of being exploited by rioters and domestic terrorists, putting lawmakers in danger. -- Stateline

Biden dresses down his Covid team over plans to speed vaccinations ([link removed]) - Jan. 11. Amid rising concerns that his administration will fall short of its promise to deliver 100 million vaccinations in its first 100 days, Biden has grown increasingly frustrated with transition staff heading this effort. Why it matters: It could take the Biden administration weeks to get the vaccination campaign on track due to the Trump administration’s own vaccine rollout failures, lack of long-term planning and refusal to share key information. -- Politico

#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Kate Grumke, @KGrumke ([link removed])
Politics producer

Democrats introduced an article of impeachment on Monday and the House could vote on it as soon as Wednesday. As we consider this unprecedented second impeachment, we are looking at past timelines. President Donald Trump’s first impeachment was a drawn out affair, but Andrew Johnson’s impeachment was notably quick.

Our question: How many days passed between when impeachment proceedings against Johnson were announced and when the House voted to impeach him?

Send your answers to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.

Last week, we asked: The last time both a representative and a senator formally objected to the Electoral College count was in 2004. Who were the members who objected and which state’s vote did they object to?

The answer: Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., objected to the results in Ohio, where President George W. Bush beat Democratic nominee John Kerry by about 118,000 votes. (Kerry, then a senator from Massachusetts, did not contest the results.)

Congratulations to our winners: Robert Schmid and Ed Witt!

Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
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** How was a violent mob able to breach the U.S. Capitol? Activists see double standard in police response ([link removed])
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