Mitch McConnell signs on to resolution allowing dismissal of impeachment without articles

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has signed on as a co-sponsor of a resolution allowing Senate rules to be changed in order to allow impeachment articles to be dismissed as the upper chamber continues to wait for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to end her hold on the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

What are the details?

The resolution was introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Monday, and would change Senate rules so that if the House of Representatives fails to submit articles of impeachment to the Senate within 25 calendar days of their adoption, any senator may "offer a motion to dismiss such articles with prejudice for failure by the House of Representatives to prosecute such articles."

Axios noted that if Speaker Pelosi continues stalling the transfer of the articles of impeachment, the 25-day mark for her hold falls this Sunday, Jan. 12.

In announcing his intention for filing the resolution, Hawley likened Pelosi's refusal to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate to a prosecutor refusing to proceed with a case, saying that "in the real world" a case would be dismissed in such an instance.

The original co-sponsors of the resolution were GOP Sens. Rick Scott (Fla.), Mike Braun (Ind.), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Ted Cruz (Texas), Steve Daines (Mont.), John Barrasso (Wyo.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Joni Ernst (Iowa), David Perdue (Ga.), and Jim Inhofe (Okla.).

Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) jumped on board Tuesday, and Sen. McConnell signed on as the 13th co-sponsor on Thursday.

Anything else?

According to Politico, Sen. McConnell also told GOP senators on Thursday that he expects Pelosi could send the articles of impeachment to the Senate soon — possibly as early as Friday. The outlet reported that "most Republicans are now gearing up for the relentless pace of the impeachment trial to start on Monday or Tuesday."