Two New York congressmen will help prosecute the impeachment case against President Donald Trump when it goes to the Senate for trial starting next week.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi named the seven impeachment trial managers Wednesday.

Democrats Jerry Nadler — who represents parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn in the 10th Congressional District and is the chair of the House Judiciary Committee — and Hakeem Jeffries — who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens in the 8th Congressional District and is the House Democratic Caucus chairman — will be among the House members who will essentially serve as prosecutors in the trial.

The House voted on December 18 to impeach Trump for abuse of power over pushing Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden. He is also charged with Obstruction of Congress.

Pelosi delayed the transmission of the articles to the Senate for several weeks as she held out for more specific terms of the trial.

"We couldn't wait, because some people were saying, 'Let the election take care of it.' He is trying to cheat in that election, so it's essential that we bring this impeachment to stop the president from trying to rig — well, not trying — rig the next election," Nadler said.

"In America, no one is above the law. That is why the House proceeded, with great leadership from Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Schiff and Nadler, to hold this president accountable. The Constitution required it, our democracy required it," Jeffries said.

Jeffries is a former state Assemblyman, attorney, and clerk for the Southern District of New York. Nadler is a veteran of the President Bill Clinton impeachment and also a former Assemblyman.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, and Reps. Sylvia Garcia of Texas, Val Demings of Florida, Jason Crow of Colorado, and Zoe Lofgren of California were also named impeachment managers.

Later in the evening, Pelosi authorized the transmittal of the two articles of impeachment to the Senate. Pelosi's hand-picked team of impeachment managers were escorted by House staff, who then walked the articles from the House side over to the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol.

 

 

 

"The emphasis is on litigators. The emphasis is on comfort level in the courtroom," Pelosi said. "The emphasis is making as strong as possible a case to protect and defend our Constitution, to seek the truth for the American people."

The impeachment managers are now preparing to make the monumental case to a Republican-dominated Senate on why a president should be removed from office for the first time in history.

"We're going to as hard as we can to continue to make the case that the president engaged in an extraordinary and corrupt abuse of power by pressuring a foreign government to target an American citizen," Jeffries said. "That is the heart of the case."

"It's a sad day. It's sad that we have to impeach the president of the United States," Nadler said. "On the other hand, it's a good day because we are taking steps to vindicate the Constitution and to protect the Constitution against a deep, deep threat represented by this president."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expects the trial to start next Tuesday. He met behind closed doors on Tuesday with GOP senators as they negotiate the terms of the trial.

Top Democrats hope those terms involve allowing testimony from key witnesses, although Republicans may counter by calling for defense witnesses, such as Biden's son, Hunter.