参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔周一承认，如果众议院投票弹劾唐纳德·特朗普总统，他将“别无选择”，只能处理此事并在众议院进行审判——这是目前的要求。
这位肯塔基州共和党人在谈到CNBC时说:“嗯，根据参议院的规定，如果众议院真的走这条路，我们就必须接受，我们会遵守一套规则。”。“参议院关于弹劾的规定需要67票才能改变。所以，我别无选择，只能接受它。”
麦康奈尔可能很快不得不面对这一现实的可能性越来越大，因为有消息称特朗普向乌克兰总统施压，要求其调查政治对手、前副总统乔拜登(Joe Biden)和他的儿子亨特(Hunter)，众议院民主党人正在推进他们新启动的弹劾程序。截至目前，共和党控制的参议院要么改变规则，要么判特朗普有罪，并将其赶下台的可能性微乎其微。
麦康奈尔暗示，共和党人已经表示，他们将努力迅速挫败参议院的任何弹劾努力。
“你在这上面呆多久完全是另一回事，但我别无选择，只能根据参议院弹劾规则来处理这件事，”他继续说道。
参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔1月9日在DC华盛顿美国国会大厦举行共和党午餐会后，唐纳德·特朗普总统(左)向新闻界发表讲话。奥利维尔·杜利里-普尔/盖蒂的照片
上周在众议院议长南希·佩洛西之前宣布议院正在进行“官方弹劾调查”，麦康奈尔告诉记者，他不会“解决所有关于众议院可能发生或不发生的各种假设，我认为所有这些都为时过早。”
贾斯汀·阿玛什抨击共和党的凯文·麦卡锡无能且不诚实
宪法规定“参议院拥有审判所有弹劾案的唯一权力”，最高法院首席法官将主持审判。而且，正如麦康奈尔提到的，对于诉讼必须持续多长时间没有标准的时间表。判特朗普有罪至少需要三分之二——或67票——的成员。
最引人注目的是，最近，前总统比尔·克林顿和理查德·尼克松面临弹劾程序。众议院弹劾了克林顿，但他在参议院没有被定罪，而尼克松在众议院弹劾他之前就辞职了。
众议院民主党正在努力加快他们的程序，一些成员和委员会将在接下来的两周内通过国会休会。周五，众议院情报委员会主席亚当·希夫(加州民主党)传唤了国务卿迈克·庞贝，指控他的小组调查特朗普涉及乌克兰的行动，此外，他还说下一个是总统的私人律师鲁迪·朱利安尼。
WHY MITCH MCCONNELL SAYS HE MIGHT HAVE 'NO CHOICE' BUT TO CONSIDER IMPEACHMENT
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell conceded Monday that if the House votes to impeach President Donald Trump, he would have "no choice" but to address the matter and hold a trial in the chamber—as is currently required.
"Well, under the Senate rules, we're required to take it up, if the House does go down that path, and we'll follow the set of rules," the Kentucky Republican said on CNBC. "It's a Senate rule related to impeachment that would take 67 votes to change. So, I would have no choice but to take it up."
The chances that McConnell may soon have to face that reality have become increasingly likely, as House Democrats are surging forward with their newly launched impeachment proceedings amid news that Trump pressured the Ukrainian president to investigate a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. As of now, there remains little-to-no likelihood the GOP-controlled Senate would either change the rules or convict Trump and oust him from office.
Republicans have said they would work to quickly defeat any impeachment efforts in the Senate, something McConnell alluded to.
"How long you're on it is a whole different matter, but I would have no choice but to take it up based on a senate rule on impeachment," he continued.
President Donald Trump (L) talks to the press as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) looks on after the Republican luncheon at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 9 in Washington, DC.PHOTO BY OLIVIER DOULIERY-POOL/GETTY
Prior to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last weekdeclaring the chamber was conductingan "official impeachment inquiry," McConnell told reporters he wasn't "going to address all of these various hypotheticals that have been aired out about what may or may not happen in the House, and I think all of that's quite premature."
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The Constitution states the "Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments," a trial that the chief justice of the Supreme Court would preside over. And, as McConnell mentioned, there is no standard timeline as to how long the proceedings must last. At least two-thirds—or 67 votes—of the members would be needed to convict Trump.
Most notably and most recently, former Presidents Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon faced impeachment proceedings. The House impeached Clinton, but he was not convicted in the Senate, while Nixon resigned from office before the House could impeach him.
House Democrats are working to accelerate their proceedings, with some members and committees working through a congressional recess for the next two weeks. On Friday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) subpoenaed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over his panel's probe of Trump's actions involving Ukraine, in addition to saying the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is next.
