Trump impeachment trial could hamper Biden congressional agenda in first days of presidency

President Trump's Senate impeachment trial could hamper President-elect Joe Biden's congressional agenda in the first days of his presidency if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi transmits the article to the upper chamber before the inauguration, Republicans warn, as Biden himself acknowledges concerns over lawmakers dealing with both.

"Now, the process continues to the Senate — and I hope they’ll deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation," Biden said in his statement Wednesday after the House impeached Trump.

The Senate is in recess and will return on Jan. 19. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told GOP colleagues this week that the upper chamber would not reconvene early to take on impeachment without the consent of all 100 senators.

The House can deliver a message to the secretary of the Senate while they are in recess, informing the Senate that the House has appointed managers to exhibit, or read aloud, the articles of impeachment. But the Senate can take no action on that message until it reconvenes on Jan. 19.

Once the Senate reconvenes, the secretary of the Senate notifies the body of receipt of the message from the House managers, triggering the Senate’s impeachment rules.

During Trump’s January 2020 impeachment trial, and during former President Bill Clinton’s January 1999 impeachment trial, the Senate instructed House managers to exhibit, or read aloud, the articles of impeachment the day after the Senate’s rules were triggered.