Democrats Fall in Line Behind Nancy Pelosi's Impeachment Trial Standoff with Mitch McConnell

Moderates and liberals alike, Democrats are backing the extraordinary move by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to delay the delivery of the impeachment articles to the Senate, giving rise to an unprecedented stalemate as Washington's top lawmakers attempt to negotiate the terms of an impeachment trial.

"We are on the same page," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told Newsweek and half a dozen other media outlets Thursday inside his Washington, D.C. office after meeting with the California Democrat. "We're both going to work as hard as we can to get a fair trial."

The impasse over a looming Senate trial proceeding, which would determine if President Donald Trump should be removed from office after being impeached by the House for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, centers on witnesses demanded by Schumer.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell won't allow their appearances, causing Pelosi to refuse to name who her impeachment managers will be to argue the case before senators, causing the proceedings to hang in limbo.

Pelosi and Schumer aren't the only Democrats in lockstep with one another over the delay tactic that's been suddenly deployed. Democrats across Capitol Hill are comfortable—and confident—Pelosi's political strategy will prevail by securing concessions from McConnell.

"The speaker is the captain of the team here," said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-VA) of the Judiciary Committee. "There are checks and balances taking place right now between the House and the Senate. We are going to insist upon a fair trial that has real integrity."

Schumer has demanded the testimony of four witnesses, including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security adviser John Bolton. Pelosi's delay of the articles over McConnell's refusal to summon their testimonies could create blowback for the party, particularly vulnerable House Democrats who voted for impeachment, over the perception the speaker's move amounts to political gamesmanship.

"My background and experience says that [the trial] is another somber experience that has to be done correctly," Rep. Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ), one of the last of the vulnerable members to support impeachment, told Newsweek. "My constituents see the breadth of my word and hopefully come to trust me and respect my decisions."

A meeting between the two Senate leaders Thursday afternoon was unsuccessful in procuring an agreement. McConnell said they "remain at an impasse" while a spokesman for Schumer said he asked the majority leader to "consider Sen. Schumer's proposal over the holidays." Congress is on recess through the first week of January.

McConnell has proven in the past with situations such as Merrick Garland, an Obama Supreme Court justice nominee whom he blocked, that he's not one to back down from political standoffs. And he's indicated that he would be content with not having a trial at all.

"I admit, I'm not sure what 'leverage' there is in refraining from sending us something we do not want," McConnell said on the floor.

However, Trump wants an "immediate" and speedy acquittal.

As a result, Democrats are placing their bets on McConnell folding his cards first, succumbing to the president's pressure and agreeing to terms that Democrats deem "fair" enough to allow the commencement of a trial.

Or, as Schumer believes, the pressure could push some of McConnell's own members to side with Democrats. Schumer said he'll force a vote on allowing the witnesses, a move that would cause attention to beam down on a select group of Senate Republicans who could force the majority leader's hand.

"I think the real pressure is going to be on his Republican members, who for a variety of different reasons might decide, at the very minimum, we ought to hear some witnesses," Schumer said. "It's hard to tell how people will react to this. It does affect people in certain ways."

Republicans, meanwhile, have already lambasted their colleagues across the aisle for playing political games with impeachment, highlighting House Democrats' urgency to pass the articles only for the process to come to a screeching halt once Trump was impeached.

"We have this fascinating situation where, following House Democrats' rush to impeachment, following weeks of pronouncements about the urgency of this situation, the prosecutors have now developed cold feet," McConnell said.

Pelosi responded to GOP criticism Thursday morning, saying she does not "care what the Republicans say." She appeared to step back from the suggestion she made Wednesday night after impeaching Trump that they may never send over the articles.

Democrats are confident a deal can be made between McConnell and Schumer over the roughly two-week Christmas recess. Still, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) cautioned any of his fellow Democrats who might think withholding the articles indefinitely is a plausible scenario.

"I'd rather have the articles in front of us so that we can make a decision," he told Newsweek. "I've heard some House Democrats say they want to hold the articles indefinitely. I don't know that that's a great decision."