WASHINGTON, D.C. - While most of the Senate's time is focused on the impeachment trial, will any other business get done in Congress' upper chamber?
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- Senate under a confined schedule during Impeachment Trial
- Limited time to vote on other bills
- Clinton Impeachment had no other business; Johnson Impeachment took up votes
It is unlikely senators will get anything done other than impeachment.
Senate rules confine the lawmakers to start their impeachment sessions in the afternoon.
There's an hour in between when the Senate convenes and the trial starts, so theoretically they could take on other bills.
The only one that looks to get voted on is a resolution on the president's war powers, which comes after the recent conflict with Iran.
Looking back at other impeachments, the Senate record during President Clinton from early January 1999 to early February showed no votes were taken other than impeachment.
The record during President Johnson showed otherwise, however — the Senate did take up other votes as that impeachment unfolded.
In fact, in the days before the acquittal vote, the Senate voted on more than a handful of bills that were not impeachment-related, such as funding an expedition to explore along the Colorado River.