The House will convene on Wednesday to debate and vote on whether President Trump should be charged with “inciting violence against the United States government” and attempting to prosecute him for the second time in less than 13 months. .
The decision to proceed with the vote comes after Vice President Mike Pence sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday to deprive the president of his powers with the help of the 25th Amendment.
The indictment the Democrats filed Monday is aimed at holding Trump accountable for his role in blowing up a crowd of his supporters who stormed the Capitol last week, killing a Capitol police officer. stole a raid on offices of lawmakers and federal property. More tangible, it also calls for the 14th Amendment, which possibly Mr. Trump is banned from holding office in the future if he is eventually convicted by the Senate.
Members of the House will meet at 9 a.m. to begin the debate on the indictment.
Here’s how to follow the debate and what to look for:
Where to look
The indictments can be streamed online on several platforms, including the Maid’s website, C-SPAN and YouTube. The New York Times also presents a video of the trial with live analysis of reporters starting at 9 p.m.
Those who watch television can watch the proceedings in full on several networks, including CNN and PBS.
What to pay attention to
Democrats apparently have more than enough support to vote to accuse Trump. But the pace at which they rushed to continue the vote prompted some Republican lawmakers to propose alternative solutions, such as a dual measure to condemn the president.
Several Republicans from the House, including representatives John Katko of New York and Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the party’s No. 3 in the chamber, said they would join the Democrats in support of accusations. Several others who did not discuss their views in public are expected to do so on Wednesday.
Yet it is expected that the vast majority of Republicans will vote against the accusation of Mr. Trump. Top Republicans, like California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, have even publicly criticized the upcoming vote.
But unlike the latest accusation, in which Republicans are united in their opposition, the debate on Wednesday could reveal simmering divisions within the party, as lawmakers on both sides looked privately at the president’s actions before and after the riot at the Capitol. . The debate must reveal how willing Republicans are to make these views public.
What comes next?
If the House were to vote as expected to accuse Trump, attention would be drawn to the Senate, which could begin a trial as early as next week.
While the elected president, Joseph R. Biden jr., Has postponed the legislators handling the proceedings, he has expressed concern that political drama surrounding accusations of his policy agenda could drag off in the earliest days of his presidency.
Exactly when the Senate is considering holding a trial remains unclear, but there is some agreement among jurists that accusations can be completed even after Mr. Trump has left office.
Mr. Biden has raised the possibility of “doubling” future proceedings in the Senate so that some time can be spent on the trial while he has to book part of the day for senators to confirm his cabinet and other nominees.
While the last indictment against Mr. Trump died in the Senate when Republicans overwhelmingly voted to acquit him, this time may be different.
Some Republican senators called Mr. Trump denounced his actions and asked him to resign. And Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader who has steadfastly supported the president in the past, has issued a private conspiracy with Democrats to oust Mr. Trump to refrain from holding public office.