CNN’s Manu Raju: Pelosi hasn’t told ‘her closest confidantes’ plan for impeachment articles

CNN senior congressional correspondent Manu Raju says Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has not informed “her closest confidantes” or Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) about her plans on the articles of impeachment against President Trump.

“Nancy Pelosi is not telling anyone about her plans to deliver those articles of impeachment over to the Senate,” Raju reported on “CNN Newsroom” on Tuesday. “In fact, she has not told her closest confidantes, and I’m told Chuck Schumer does not know her plans.” 

“[Schumer] thinks they could be delivered this week, but he himself doesn’t know, according to multiple sources,” Raju continued. “The big question is, when she comes back to the Capitol today, does she indicate her plans? Everyone on Capitol Hill is still guessing.” 

After a briefing on Iran, Pelosi did not answer questions from reporters on the articles of impeachment, which she has refused to send over to the Senate in an attempt to win concessions from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on the impeachment trial rules.

The House voted along party lines last month to approve two articles against Trump: abuse of power in his dealings with Ukraine and obstruction of Congress.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) began circulating a resolution on Tuesday pressing Pelosi to send the articles of impeachment to the upper chamber.

“I’ve got a resolution … urging her to send over the articles, and what she’s doing is out of step with past precedent and an affront to the Senate,” Graham told reporters on Capitol Hill. “It’s not her job to set the trial.”

McConnell also announced Tuesday that GOP senators “have the votes” to pass an organizing resolution to start Trump’s trial without witness testimony, which Democrats are seeking to include.

“We have the votes, once the impeachment trial has begun, to pass a resolution essentially the same, very similar to the 100 to nothing vote in the Clinton trial which sets up, as you may recall, what could best be described maybe as a Phase One,” McConnell said.