TRANSCRIPT: At NYC Press Conference, Schumer Responds To Trump Blaming Others For Capitol Insurrection And Discusses 2004 Legislation That Allows Senate To Reconvene On Emergency Basis If Sen. McConnell Agrees

New York, N.Y.— Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today at a press conference called out President Trump for not taking responsibility for inciting the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and discussed the 2004 legislation that allows the Senate to reconvene on an emergency basis if Sen. McConnell agrees.  A transcript can be found below:

What Trump did today, blaming others for what he caused is a pathological technique used by the worst of dictators. Trump causes the anger, he causes the divisiveness, he foments the violence and blames others for it. That is despicable.

The technique Trump is using is used by the worst dictators, the globe has ever seen. Donald Trump should not hold office one day longer. And what we saw in his statements today is proof positive of that, if you needed any further proof, which I didn't.

As I’ve said, if he won't resign and Vice President Pence in the cabinet won't invoke the 25th amendment, he will be impeached by the House. And as the law requires tried by the Senate.

Now about the Senate trial.

So Leader McConnell is saying he can't call the Senate back after the House votes for impeachment because it requires unanimous consent – the consent of every Senator.

That's not true. There was legislation passed in 2004 that allows the Senate Minority Leader and Majority Leader to jointly reconvene the Senate in times of emergency.

This is a time of emergency.

McConnell claims he needs unanimous consent the agreement of all 100 Senators, but it's not so.

I've asked him to call the Senate back.  All he needs is my agreement – I'm still Minority Leader –  and his agreement, he's Majority Leader. We could come back ASAP and vote to convict Donald Trump and get him out of office now before any further damage is done.

The legislation that passed in 2004 puts a dagger through the heart of this idea that you need unanimous consent for every Senator to call back to the office.

The bottom line is that Leader McConnell has the ability to call us back into session and we can then move to convict Donald Trump, draw on the impeachment trial and try him. And that's what we hope McConnell will do.

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