Bill Summary
This resolution amends the rules of procedure and practice for impeachment trials in the Senate. It specifies that when the House of Representatives sends notice of managers being appointed to conduct an impeachment against a person, the Senate must inform the House that it is ready to receive them for the purpose of presenting the articles of impeachment. If the House does not provide the articles within 25 days, any Senator can make a motion to dismiss the articles with prejudice. This motion would need to be passed by a majority of sworn Senators without debate and recorded on the record.
Possible Impacts
1. The amendment to rule I could affect people who are being impeached by ensuring a timely process and preventing the House of Representatives from delaying the trial.
2. The rule change could also affect the managers appointed by the House of Representatives to conduct the impeachment trial, as they would now have a strict deadline to exhibit the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
3. This legislation could also affect the general public who may be following the impeachment trial, as it sets a clear timeline and procedure for the trial to take place.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 463 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 463
Amending the Rules of Procedure and Practice in the Senate When Sitting
on Impeachment Trials.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 6, 2020
Mr. Hawley (for himself, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Braun, Mrs.
Blackburn, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Daines, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Cotton, Ms. Ernst,
Mr. Perdue, and Mr. Inhofe) submitted the following resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Amending the Rules of Procedure and Practice in the Senate When Sitting
on Impeachment Trials.
Resolved, That rule I of the Rules of Procedure and Practice in the
Senate When Sitting on Impeachment Trials is amended to read as
follows:
``I. Whensoever the Senate shall receive notice from the
House of Representatives that managers are appointed on their
part to conduct an impeachment against any person and are
directed to carry articles of impeachment to the Senate, the
Secretary of the Senate shall immediately inform the House of
Representatives that the Senate is ready to receive the
managers for the purpose of exhibiting such articles of
impeachment, agreeably to such notice. If, following adoption
of such articles, the House of Representatives does not so
notify the Senate or otherwise provide for such articles to be
exhibited to the Senate within 25 calendar days from the date
of adoption of such articles, as recorded in the Journal of the
House of Representatives, such articles shall be deemed
exhibited before the Senate and it shall be in order for any
Senator to offer a motion to dismiss such articles with
prejudice for failure by the House of Representatives to
prosecute such articles. Such motion shall be adopted by an
affirmative vote of a majority of the Senators, duly chosen and
sworn, without debate by the yeas and nays, which shall be
entered on the record.''.
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