1 Senators Sworn In For Impeachment Trial, As GOP Pushback Locks In
The entire Senate has been formally sworn-in as jurors ahead of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. All 100 members of the Upper Chamber took the oath of office, including Vermont Senator Pat Leahy, who is the Presiding Officer over the trial. That article charges Trump with inciting an insurrection for provoking the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol earlier this month – and even though the process is moving forward, there’s little doubt about how the trial will end. After all, a vote already suggests Democrats do not have enough Republican support to convict Mr. Trump. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul put forth a motion to dismiss the impeachment – it failed – with only five Republicans siding with Democrats. In order to secure a conviction, Dems need 17 Republicans. After the vote, Paul said "If 34 people support my resolution, it shows they don't have the votes and we're basically wasting our time." The trial is slated to begin on the week of February 8th.
2 CDC: Schools Mostly Safe To Reopen As Biden Orders 200M More Vax Doses
A new CDC study says schools are essentially safe to reopen. The study reports schools operating in-person have seen "scant transmission of the coronavirus," especially when practicing social distancing and wearing masks. The reports added, however, that some indoor athletics have led to infections and should still be curtailed for now. There has been a growing chorus of parent groups nationwide pushing for schools to open their doors. On a related note, the federal government is planning to buy 200-million more doses of the coronavirus vaccine. The goal is to have 300-million Americans fully vaccinated by the end of the summer. President Biden hosted a White House event and said the distribution of vaccines to states will be significantly ramped up.
3 Senate Moves Forward With New Power-Sharing Agreement
The new Senate is tenuously moving forward with a new power sharing agreement. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed to move forward since two Democrats announced they want to keep longstanding filibuster rules. McConnell spoke on the Senate floor and said removing the "guard rails" of the filibuster rules would be a "scorched earth" move that could slow Senate business to a halt. The bottom line? Democrats control the Senate with a 50-50 majority. Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris will have a tie-breaking vote when necessary. All legislation still requires a 60-vote threshold to move forward.