Unlike Any Impeachment Before

Should the impeachment charade unfolding in the House eventually make its way over to the Senate, chances are we may see a brawl break out. Before you get too excited, the chances of an actual brawl breaking out are slim, but we may see a verbal brawl break out over the ground rules that would govern the impeachment trial.

Currently, some Senators want Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to strike a deal on said rules to stave off a brawl.

If An Agreement Cannot Be Reached

Should Senators disagree on the ground rules for impeachment the concern is that we could end up with a partisan fight as to how the impeachment trial would be handled. Some are looking to prior impeachment precedents such as those set up during the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton.

During his impeachment hearing, the Senate was able to come to a unanimous decision over some aspects of the hearing such as the calling of witnesses and how long each Senator would get to ask questions.

Asked about the chances of a resolution governing the impeachment trial rules, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said, “Good luck with that. Do I think it will happen? The short is no, the long answer is hell no,” Kennedy added. “This will be the first partisan impeachment in the history of our country. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think we’ll even be able to get agreement on the rules.”

“This will be the first partisan impeachment in the history of our country. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think we’ll even be able to get agreement on the rules.” Senator John Kennedy (R-La.)

Past Precedent Governing Impeachment vs. Today’s Political Climate

While Senators were able to reach a unanimous decision over one aspect of the Clinton impeachment trial, other decisions fell more along party lines. That is the concern if the Trump impeachment process makes it’s way to the Senate.

Fast forward some 20 years and we are in a vastly different and far more polarized political climate. Votes regarding impeachment are likely to fall more along party lines than they did in the past and the Republicans hold a majority in the Senate 53-47.