Pelosi Already Has the Votes to Impeach

House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment Monday, and it already has 218 cosponsors—enough to guarantee passage, reports Politico. What happens in the next few days depends on a number of factors, including whether VP Mike Pence acts to remove President Trump from office. Where things stand:

• Pelosi said the House would impeach Trump for the second time if Pence and Trump's Cabinet fails to invoke the 25th Amendment by Wednesday, reports the Washington Post.

• On Tuesday, the House will vote on a resolution demanding that Pence act, reports the New York Times. Democrats tried to pass that same measure quickly on Monday, through unanimous consent, but Trump ally Rep. Alex Mooney of West Virginia objected, per the Hill. However, the measure is expected to pass on a roll call vote Tuesday night, the wild card being how many Republicans will join Democrats.
• While that resolution would raise the pressure on Pence to act within 24 hours, he has not signaled that he's willing to try to oust Trump, per the AP. That's why Democrats are proceeding along the two-track front with impeachment. "President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government," reads the four-page impeachment bill.
• If the House does impeach Trump Wednesday, it remains unclear whether the article of impeachment would be sent to the Senate immediately. Some Democrats have broached the idea of a delay as Joe Biden's administration gets rolling. Biden, for his part, said Monday that he thought the Senate could split days between an impeachment trial and working on his agenda, including confirmation of his Cabinet picks, per the Post. He spoke while receiving his second dose of COVID vaccine.

(More Trump impeachment stories.)