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President-elect Joe Biden already faces the daunting task of steering a聽newly announced $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill聽through a closely divided United States Congress as the pandemic and its economic fallout grow.

Now Mr. Biden will have to do it with President Donald Trump鈥檚 impeachment trial beginning potentially as soon as his first day in office.

The confluence of events amounts to one of the most politically and logistically complicated openings to a new administration in modern history, requiring Mr. Biden to try to move the country into a post-Trump era even as senators debate Mr. Trump鈥檚 most divisive acts.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be incredibly challenging,鈥� said former Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor, a Democrat. 鈥淭here鈥檚 only so much bandwidth in the Congress.鈥�

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who will have a significant role to play in ushering Mr. Biden鈥檚 agenda through the Senate as chair of the Budget Committee, underscored how much is on Democrats鈥� plate during Mr. Biden鈥檚 first few months in office.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have the time to spend an enormous amount of time on impeachment, and then we鈥檙e going to go to Biden鈥檚 nominees and then we have to deal with legislation,鈥� the independent senator said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have to move simultaneously in a whole bunch of areas.鈥�

In an interview with NPR, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris expressed confidence in the Senate.

鈥淲e know how to multitask,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a reason that word exists in the English language. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 going to be required. We have to multitask, which means, as with anyone, we have a lot of priorities and we need to see them through.鈥�

Mr. Biden has so far stayed largely out of public deliberations over Mr. Trump鈥檚 impeachment for inciting a riot. After the House vote, Mr. Biden was forceful in denouncing the violent attack on the Capitol that precipitated the impeachment charge, but he also said he鈥檇 work as president to ensure Americans 鈥渟tand together as a nation鈥� 鈥� and called on the Senate to 鈥渇ind a way to deal with their constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation.鈥�

His hands-off approach to the matter is in keeping with his stance throughout the campaign and into his transition, even as Mr. Trump鈥檚 ever-growing controversies have overwhelmed the news cycle.

Mr. Biden took his time in endorsing the first impeachment of Mr. Trump in 2019, only expressing support for the move weeks after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched the formal effort. Decades before, when Richard Nixon was impeached, Mr. Biden cautioned his Senate colleagues to consider the weight of the moment and give Mr. Nixon a fair trial.

Democrats on Capitol Hill say they largely want to see Mr. Biden continue his even-keeled approach and focus on his agenda, rather than on impeachment, once he enters office.

鈥淧resident-elect Biden has a big job. So let him do his job 鈥� and let the Senate do their work,鈥� said California Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat.

But once the proceedings start, it鈥檚 certain to be tougher for Mr. Biden to completely avoid them, with the trial dominating the news cycle and forcing his former opponent back into the spotlight, even as Mr. Biden tries to stay focused on the coronavirus pandemic.

And there鈥檚 the prospect they could further exacerbate the already fraught atmosphere on Capitol Hill, politicizing Mr. Biden鈥檚 agenda and making it tougher for him to get support from winnable Republican senators.

鈥淭rump鈥檚 most fervent supporters are going to have an opportunity to attack Democrats, not for their programs and not for their ideas, but as the evil caricature that they have come to portray them,鈥� said Jeffrey Engel, director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University. 鈥淧eople who were potentially gettable as votes for some of Biden鈥檚 legislative agenda are going to be much more hesitant to go along with Democratic plans while Democrats are openly being vilified.鈥�

Mr. Biden was known as a dealmaker in the Senate and has long relationships with many Republican senators after his 36-year career there. He鈥檚 also been in touch with leadership of both parties during the transition. But as Virginia Sen. Mark Warner points out, there鈥檚 the risk that impeachment poisons the well for Mr. Biden with those senators who don鈥檛 know him well.

鈥淎t least half the Republican caucus has never served with Joe Biden,鈥� said Mr. Warner, a Democrat. 鈥淗is ability to navigate with those new members, if their first impression is driven by what could end up being decided on partisan lines, that鈥檚 going to make his job more difficult.鈥�

For now, Mr. Biden is staying focused on his agenda.

On Thursday, in announcing his COVID-19 relief package, he emphasized that he hopes to work with lawmakers from both parties and expressed optimism that despite the $1.9 trillion price tag, 鈥渨e鈥檙e ready to get this done.鈥�

鈥淚 know what I just described does not come cheaply, but we simply can鈥檛 afford not to do what I鈥檓 proposing,鈥� Mr. Biden said.

And Democrats on Capitol Hill are barreling ahead as well, refusing to accept the prospect that impeachment will deter them from their legislative goals.

鈥淲hat the Senate is going to have to do is show the world that it can walk and chew gum at the same time,鈥� Mr. Sanders said.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.