Senate Democrats will control the majority on Wednesday for the first time since 2014 and plan to consider a new round of stimulus checks quickly, a slew of Biden administration nominees, and a list of agenda items including a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.
The Democrats, under the leadership of Sen. Chuck Schumer, will also hold a Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, who will no longer be in office by the time the party retakes the gavel at noon on Wednesday.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a top Senate Republican, predicted “the most aggressive socialized policy effort in the history of the country" during President-elect Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office.
But Biden’s agenda will require substantial cooperation from Congress, which is not guaranteed.
The Democratic agenda and attempt to convict Trump of an impeachment charge all face likely rejection from Republicans, whose cooperation is needed under the rules of the Senate.
Schumer, in an address on Saturday, said the Senate would immediately begin addressing COVID-19 relief, nominations, and Trump’s impeachment trial right after Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris take the oath of office at noon on Wednesday.
Schumer also pledged the Senate “will conduct a second impeachment trial for President Trump” over the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by his supporters that left five dead and dozens injured.
Schumer didn’t indicate when the impeachment trial will take place. The House last week passed one article charging the president with incitement of an insurrection, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi has not indicated when she will send it to the Senate.
Schumer pledged immediate action on other tough-to-pass legislation.
Democrats, he said, plan to bring up a measure providing a new round of stimulus checks worth approximately $1,400 per individual, adding to the $600 checks provided in a prior COVID-19 aid measure.
Biden is planning to send legislation to Congress providing $1.9 trillion in new federal COVID-19 aid that includes the additional stimulus checks.
“As soon as President Biden and Vice-President Harris are sworn in, we'll set to work to provide the American people further relief from the COVID pandemic, including increasing direct payments to working families to $2,000,” Schumer, of New York, said, adding, “The Senate will work to quickly confirm the president-elect's highly qualified Cabinet, as well as his judicial and executive nominations.”
Schumer plans to tackle other liberal wish list items: “Climate change, clean infrastructure, healthcare, immigration reform, voting rights,” Schumer pledged on Saturday. “Senate Democrats will get to work on the biggest challenges we face and get our country finally, finally, back on track.”
Democrats haven’t outlined a specific immigration reform agenda, but Biden on Wednesday plans to send legislation to Congress immediately that would provide a pathway to citizenship for the approximately 11 million people now living in the United States illegally.
There are no details yet, such as whether it includes border security or other reforms that could attract Republican votes. Congress has long been divided on how to reform immigration and deal with millions of illegal immigrants. Every plan seriously considered by lawmakers over the past two decades has included immigration reforms in addition to legalizing those who are already in the country.
The House remains under the control of Democrats, who can pass legislation with a simple majority as long as nearly all of them remain unified, which is not guaranteed.
Senate legislation, however, requires 60 votes, which means at least 10 Republicans are needed to begin debate on legislation and to pass it under the new 50-50 split.
Convicting Trump on an impeachment charge has an even higher threshold of 67 votes, which makes it is less likely Democrats will achieve their goal of preventing Trump from holding higher office again.
To begin a trial, Senate Democrats must strike a deal on the timing, witnesses, and other rules, which has not happened yet.
Democrats have suggested they’ll try to do it all at once — take up legislation part of each day before convening for the impeachment trial at 1 p.m.
But a dual schedule would require consent from Republicans, and so far, they haven’t provided it.
That hasn’t stopped optimistic Democrats from making promises.
“We’re going to be able to do a lot of things at once,” Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, told NBC on Sunday. “I think we should. If we can get the time agreements from our Republican leader, we can actually hold impeachment trials as well as do other urgently critical things, like getting key national security personnel confirmed as well.”
