Biden Hopes Senate Can Balance Impeachment With Other Urgent Work

The Trump Impeachment trial is one more thing the Biden Administration is going to inherit from its predecessor.

US President-elect Joe Biden.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/ The Quint)

On Wednesday night, hours after the US House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for the second time, President-elect Joe Biden released a statement expressing hope that the Senate will be able to carry out their regular legislative duties while dealing with impeachment responsibilities.

Seven days away from taking office, the Trump Impeachment trial in the Senate is one more thing the Biden Administration is going to inherit from its predecessor.

Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, has made clear that he won't agree to bring the Senate back early for trial. In a statement, McConnell said that he believes "it will best serve our nation if Congress and the executive branch spend the next seven days completely focused on facilitating a safe inauguration and an orderly transfer of power to the incoming Biden Administration."

“This nation also remains in the grip of a deadly virus and a reeling economy,” Biden said. “I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation.”

He further stated that the violence at the Capitol was incited by the President, saying it "was carried out by political extremists and domestic terrorists, who were incited to this violence by President Trump."

“From confirmations to key posts such as Secretaries for Homeland Security, State, Defense, Treasury, and Director of National Intelligence, to getting our vaccine program on track, and to getting our economy going again. Too many of our fellow Americans have suffered for too long over the past year to delay this urgent work,” he added.