Biden era to open in Trump's shadow as agenda, impeachment trial converge

Biden has refrained from wading into the debate over punishing Trump for his role in the riot

Joe Biden’s hope of turning the page on a chaotic chapter in American history with his January 20 inauguration dissolved on Wednesday, with his own party’s efforts to punish Trump poised to drag on through the earliest days of the new president’s administration.

 

Instead of shifting to Biden’s agenda and confirming his nominees for dozens of key positions, the Senate may be preparing to hold a trial for his predecessor after the House impeached Trump on Wednesday. Biden has largely refrained from wading into the debate over punishing Trump for his role in encouraging the mob that stormed the US Capitol last week.

 

As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s intentions became clearer, the president-elect proposed that the Senate “bifurcate” its schedule so it could continue work on confirming his nominees and passing a coronavirus relief Bill.