Senate GOP braces for impeachment trial ‘roller coaster’ | TheHill – The Hill

Republicans are bracing for a high-stakes impeachment fight as soon as next month as a trial in the Senate looks all but inevitable.

With House Democrats wading deeper into their ongoing impeachment inquiry into President TrumpDonald John Trump Democratic senator rips Trump’s ‘let them fight’ remarks: ‘Enough is enough’ Warren warns Facebook may help reelect Trump ‘and profit off of it’ Trump touts Turkey cease-fire: ‘Sometimes you have to let them fight’ MORE‘s interactions with Ukraine, GOP senators expect the House will ultimately pass articles of impeachment.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Overnight Defense — Presented by Boeing — Pence says Turkey agrees to ceasefire | Senators vow to move forward with Turkey sanctions | Mulvaney walks back comments tying Ukraine aid to 2016 probe On The Money: Senate fails to override Trump veto over border emergency | Trump resort to host G-7 next year | Senators to push Turkey sanctions despite ceasefire | McConnell tees up funding votes McConnell tees up government funding votes amid stalemate MORE (R-Ky.) already confirmed the Senate would hold a trial if the House passes articles.

Republicans are already studying up on the rules as they prepare for what will be a high-profile, politically charged showdown even as Trump is widely expected to avoid being convicted and removed from office by the Senate, an act that would require the approval of two-thirds of the closely divided chamber.

Sen. John KennedyJohn Neely Kennedy MORE (R-La.) acknowledged that senators will have to deal with impeachment and said that he was looking to the Congressional Research Service (CRS) for guidance on the Senate’s rules.

“I have a copy ordered from CRS. CRS has updated its white paper on impeachment. Probably in great demand right now,” he said.

Sen. James LankfordJames Paul Lankford Lawmakers toast Greta Van Susteren’s new show McConnell support for election security funds leaves Dems declaring victory Election security funds passed by Senate seen as welcome first step MORE (R-Okla.) added Republicans had discussed the “process.”

“For sure, all of us,” he added when asked if he was planning to brush up on rules as a likely trial grows closer.

Trump’s impeachment trial would be the third for a president in Senate history after Andrew Johnson and Bill ClintonWilliam (Bill) Jefferson Clinton What did the Founders most fear about impeachment? The Hill’s Morning Report – Tempers boil over at the White House Chelsea Clinton says she’s not considering a bid for New York House seat MORE — both of whom were found not guilty.

But most senators will be handling their first trial as members of the chamber.

Only fifteen senators were serving in the Senate during Clinton’s trial, including McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis Schumer Trump touts Turkey cease-fire: ‘Sometimes you have to let them fight’ Mattis responds to Trump criticism: ‘I guess I’m the Meryl Streep of generals’ Democrats vow to push for repeal of other Trump rules after loss on power plant rollback MORE (D-N.Y.).

“I think the process should be similar to what we had before,” said Sen. Richard ShelbyRichard Craig Shelby McConnell tees up government funding votes amid stalemate GOP warns Graham letter to Pelosi on impeachment could ‘backfire’ Senate eyes attempt to jump-start government funding bills MORE (R-Ala.), who was also in the Senate during the Clinton trial. “That’s a serious obligation because you’re thinking, ‘Well you’re really overturning an election.’ “

“I think people need to be focused and they need to do a right thing,” he added.

House Democrats are aggressively pursuing an inquiry into Trump’s request that Ukraine investigate former Vice President Joe BidenJoe Biden Warren warns Facebook may help reelect Trump ‘and profit off of it’ Trump accuses Biden of ‘quid pro quo’ hours after Mulvaney remarks Testimony from GOP diplomat complicates Trump defense MORE, a potential top rival in 2020. The focus of the potential articles of impeachment, or how many there would be, remains unclear.

But the creeping inevitability that the Senate will have to act follows weeks of speculation that McConnell could find a loophole to let the Senate avoid an impeachment trial that would otherwise eat up precious floor time and put some of his 2020 incumbents under a fierce spotlight.

The GOP leader, however, shot down that possibility this week. Though McConnell positioned himself as a roadblock to Trump being removed from office in Facebook ads, he said this week that the Senate would fulfill its “constitutional responsibility.”

“Under the impeachment rules of the Senate, we’ll take the matter up … We intend to do our constitutional responsibility.”

McConnell — along with Judiciary Committee staff and Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin Graham Pelosi, Schumer hit ‘flailing’ Trump over ‘sham ceasefire’ deal Pompeo to meet Netanyahu as US alliances questioned Overnight Defense — Presented by Boeing — Pence says Turkey agrees to ceasefire | Senators vow to move forward with Turkey sanctions | Mulvaney walks back comments tying Ukraine aid to 2016 probe MORE (R-S.C.), who was a floor manager during the Clinton impeachment trial — briefed the Senate GOP caucus during a closed-door lunch about what to expect if a trial comes to the Senate.

“I think that was more of a kind of a 101 so that we weren’t all either not able to answer any questions or all answering them some different way,” Sen. Roy BluntRoy Dean Blunt Overnight Defense — Presented by Boeing — Pence says Turkey agrees to ceasefire | Senators vow to move forward with Turkey sanctions | Mulvaney walks back comments tying Ukraine aid to 2016 probe On The Money: Senate fails to override Trump veto over border emergency | Trump resort to host G-7 next year | Senators to push Turkey sanctions despite ceasefire | McConnell tees up funding votes Senate fails to override Trump veto over emergency declaration MORE (R-Mo.) said about the caucus briefing.

Under the chamber’s impeachment rules, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will preside over the chamber and senators will convene every day but Sunday.

“Senators will not be allowed to speak, which will be good therapy for a number of them,” McConnell quipped to reporters after the closed-door caucus lunch.

McConnell wasn’t the only GOP senator making jokes. Asked what the atmosphere would be like in the Senate during the impeachment trial, Blunt joked, “I’m thinking about banning the reporters.”

But the particulars of the trial, including the length, remain up in the air.

“We just talked about the Senate rules. We’re going to have to have more meetings to talk about how we proceed,” Kennedy said about the GOP briefing.

But Speaker Nancy Pelosi