Democratic Reps. Hoyer, Cicilline back sending impeachment article immediately to Senate

House Democrats officially introduced an article of impeachment against President Trump on Monday, charging him with inciting an insurrection at the United States Capitol last week when a mob of his supporters stormed the building. Now that the resolution is out there, the focus turns to how the House plans to proceed.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said there "may well be a vote" on the article Wednesday, and with the Democrats in control of the lower chamber, plus at least a few GOP lawmakers potentially joining them, there's a good chance it will pass with a simple majority vote. However, a debate appears to be brewing about what to do next.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has indicated the upper chamber wouldn't be able to conduct an impeachment trial until after President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20, given that Congress is on recess until Jan. 19. If the Senate were to take up the trial after Trump is already out of office, that would mean Congress would have to divert at least some of its attention to the matter in the early days of the Biden administration, a troubling thought to some lawmakers, who don't want any distractions amid important tasks.

So, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) suggested waiting until after Biden's first 100 days in the White House to send the article along. Hoyer and Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), one of the article's three authors, however, aren't on board with that idea, and instead want to pass the resolution with a quick vote and then immediately get it to the Senate.

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