Playbook: “The House is an institution that operates on precedent. And impeachment is so rare that there isn’t much precedent from which to judge how long Pelosi can hold onto the articles.”
“That said, it’s completely normal for Pelosi to hold the articles for a few weeks, considering today is the House’s last day in session for the year. The Senate will be out in the next 36 hours, too, so it’s not as if there’s a huge rush. But Pelosi can’t hold the articles ad infinitem, or else she’ll be blocking the results of impeachment, which is a constitutionally prescribed process.”
“Some Democrats have been advocating withholding the articles as a means of putting pressure on McConnell to negotiate over the parameters of a Senate trial. Yet it’s not clear why a delay in the trial would be enough to move McConnell, who is not easily moved by much.”
