January 1999: President Bill Clinton's Impeachment Trial

During President Clinton’s impeachment trial in the Senate, Senator Hagel had an impeachment-related entry on his schedule almost every day. Trial-related responsibilities ranged from one-on-one and group meetings with other senators to media interviews and afternoons spent on the Senate Floor. The trial ran from Jan. 7 to Feb. 12.

Pocket Schedule (2 pages) for January 7, 1999--the first day of the impeachment trial of President Clinton in the U.S. Senate

Schedule for January 18, 1999; In the afternoon, Senator Hagel talked to a New York Times reporter about impeachment, met with a Nebraska State Senator about education topics, and flew back to Washington, D.C.

Schedule, January 19, 1999, with an Example of an Impeachment Trial-Related Entry

Whip Notice from the week of January 25 filled with impeachment information

Media Interview Request from Maggie O'Brien at Nebraska AP regarding Hagel's appointment as Deputy Whip and impeachment

Cartoon from the Hastings Tribune's Wayne Stroot -- "Nebraska's U.S. Senators on Impeachment"

Did the trial bring Capitol Hill to a halt?

You might think President Clinton’s impeachment trial brought everything in Congress to a standstill, especially judging by media coverage. It didn’t. Though Senator Hagel’s schedules included plenty of entries related to the trial, his other responsibilities and concerns didn’t cease.

Senator Hagel eating lunch with 4th graders at Hillside Elementary School in Omaha on January 18, 1999

Senator Hagel reading to 2nd graders at Hillside Elementary School in Omaha on January 18, 1999

Schedule for January 18, 1999; It was an education day for Senator Hagel. He met with Omaha and Sarpy superintendents and the President of the Nebraska State Education Association, and he visited Hillside Elementary School.

Senator Hagel with members of the Nebraska Chapter of the National Association of Postmasters on January 27, 1999.

Schedule, January 27, 1999; Senator Hagel was scheduled to chair a Foreign Relations subcommittee briefing on the International Monetary Fund, attend a Policy Lunch, and head to the floor for the trial and roll call votes. He also met up with Nebraska Postmasters for a photo.

Memo regarding Labor and Banking committees organizational meetings set for January 6, 1999; Staff recommended the Senator attend both and suggested how he might handle the overlapping meetings.