The content below is from an email sent to Grassfire staff from the Office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on January 7, 2020 at 4:55 p.m. ET:

‘It Is Time For The Speaker To Send The Articles Over’

Senate Democrats Call On Speaker Pelosi To Stop Playing Games And Send The Articles Of Impeachment To The Senate

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “I wanted to make sure you understood that we have the votes, once the impeachment trial has begun, to pass a resolution, essentially the same—very similar—to the 100-0 vote in the Clinton trial, which sets up … what could best be described as maybe a Phase 1, which would include, obviously, the arguments from the prosecution, arguments from the defense, and then a period of written questions … submitted to either the prosecution or the defense through the Chief Justice. At that point, during the Clinton trial, the issue of the appropriateness of calling witnesses was addressed … that’ll be addressed at that time, and not before the trial begins.” (Sen. McConnell, Press Conference, 1/07/2020)

• SEN. McCONNELL: “With regard to getting the papers [from the House], it is a rule of impeachment in the Senate that we must receive the papers. It continues to be my hope that the Speaker will send them on over. The House argued that this was an emergency, they needed to act quickly … and then they sat on the papers, now for three weeks. I hope that’ll end this week. I understand there’s considerable discomfort among Senate Democrats … over the continued delay in sending it on over.” (Sen. McConnell, Press Conference, 1/07/2020)

‘Most People Are Ready To Get Moving On This’

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): “I think the time has past. She [Speaker Pelosi] should send the articles over.” (The Washington Post’s Mike DeBonis, @mikedebonis, Twitter, 1/07/2020)

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): “I think it needs to start, I really do. … Let us do what we have to do over here.” (The Washington Post’s Mike DeBonis, @mikedebonis, Twitter, 1/07/2020)

MSNBC’s ANDREA MITCHELL: “ … is it time for Nancy Pelosi to send over the articles of impeachment and go ahead with it?”

SEN. ANGUS KING (I-ME): “I think it is time for the Speaker to send the articles over. I think -- I don’t think her holding them puts any particular pressure on Mitch McConnell. I think the key vote will come in the middle of the trial.” (MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” 1/07/2020)

“Asked Dem Sen. Doug Jones [D-AL] … about Pelosi withholding articles, and he said: ‘I’m hoping they will come over here soon. I think most people are ready to get moving on this.’” (CNN’s Manu Raju, @mkraju, Twitter, 1/07/2020)