Sen. John Kennedy John Neely KennedyMORE (R-La.) says Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiDemocratic senator to party: 'A little message discipline wouldn't kill us' Overnight Health Care: New wave of COVID-19 cases builds in US | Florida to lift all coronavirus restrictions on restaurants, bars | Trump stirs questions with 0 drug coupon plan Overnight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds MORE (D-Calif.) is slowing down the House impeachment timeline to set up a Senate trial next year to keep presidential candidate Joe Biden Joe BidenFormer Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick Bloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida MORE’s top rivals stuck in Washington.

The first contest of the Democratic primary season, the Iowa caucuses, is scheduled for Feb. 3 and the second, the New Hampshire primary, follows quickly on Feb. 11.

That means January will be a crucial period for meeting voters in those two battleground states and any candidate kept away from the campaign trail will have a tougher path.

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“I was very surprised when Speaker Pelosi changed her schedule and said it’s going to be delayed. And the Senate will likely receive the articles [of impeachment] the first of January,” Kennedy, a member of the Judiciary Committee, told reporters Wednesday.

“What does that mean if we get them in January? You know who gets screwed? Every senator running for president of the United States because they’re going to be here — have to be here — every day at 12:30 six days a week with the primary starting in January,” he added.

“You know who that helps?” Kennedy asked reporters before confirming that he thinks Biden is the intended prime beneficiary.

“I’m telling you it happened real fast and my first thought was, ‘Who does this help and who does it hurt?’” Kennedy said, recalling his reaction after Pelosi indicated last week the House impeachment timeline will slip into December.

“You don’t have to be Mensa material to figure that one out,” he said, referring to the organization that requires its members to have an IQ in the top 2 percent.

There's no evidence that Pelosi is scheduling the impeachment inquiry to help or hurt any Democratic candidate for president, and she has not endorsed a candidate.

Pelosi opposed moving forward with a formal impeachment inquiry for months before changing her position as information about Trump's communications with officials in Ukraine became publicly known.

An impeachment trial in the Senate could be a headache for the senators in the presidential race: Sens. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOvernight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds On The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump's 0 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package Warren, Khanna request IG investigation into Pentagon's use of coronavirus funds MORE (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSirota reacts to report of harassment, doxing by Harris supporters Republicans not immune to the malady that hobbled Democrats The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Republicans lawmakers rebuke Trump on election MORE (I-Vt.), Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisTexas Democratic official urges Biden to visit state: 'I thought he had his own plane' The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden on Trump: 'He'll leave' l GOP laywers brush off Trump's election remarks l Obama's endorsements A game theorist's advice to President Trump on filling the Supreme Court seat MORE (D-Calif.), Amy Klobuchar Amy Klobuchar3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Social media platforms put muscle into National Voter Registration Day Battle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight MORE (D-Minn.), Cory Booker Cory Anthony BookerThe movement to reform animal agriculture has reached a tipping point Watchdog confirms State Dept. canceled award for journalist who criticized Trump 3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing MORE (D-N.J.) and Michael Bennet Michael Farrand BennetOVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' Senate Democrats demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency Next crisis, keep people working and give them raises MORE (D-Colo.).

The Senate impeachment rules state the Senate shall convene every day at 1 pm, or sooner if ordered by the Senate, to consider articles of impeachment and shall continue to be in session every day of the week except for Sunday.

The rules require the Senate to sit in trial of articles of impeachment continuously “until a final judgment shall be rendered, and so much longer as may, in its judgment, be needful.”

The rules further state that the Senate may direct the Sergeant at Arms to request and subsequently compel the attendance of any absent senators if a quorum is not present in the chamber.

The 1999 Senate trial of former President Clinton stretched for more than a month.