The Senate impeachment trial of President Trump will begin in earnest this afternoon with a tussle between Republicans and Democrats over whether witnesses should be called immediately.
The Senate impeachment trial of President Trump will begin in earnest Tuesday with a tussle between Republicans and Democrats over whether witnesses should be called immediately, a question that is all but certain to remain unresolved until after the first phase of the trial, when the two sides present their arguments.Republicans have pledged to band together to defeat.
Trump is charged with two articles of impeachment. The first, for abusing his power, concerns his efforts last year to pressure the government of Ukraine to dig up dirt on a political opponent, Joe Biden, by withholding congressionally approved military aid and a White House meeting. The second, for obstruction of Congress, focuses on his directions to aides not to testify or provide documents to the House impeachment inquiry.
Democrats are frustrated by other changes in the rules: If the witness vote fails, it would be all but impossible for senators to offer more motions for witnesses. Plus, the Senate won’t automatically include the House’s impeachment inquiry record as evidence. If McConnell can keep all 53 Senate Republicans together to oppose the witness effort, it would mark a victory akin to the wall the GOP erected in an unsuccessful effort to block passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, or its successful push to keep a Supreme Court seat open for much of 2016.Three Republicans already have signaled openness to witnesses — Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.
The Senate itself will be a bit transformed. Typically, only senators can speak on the Senate floor and senators rarely sit at their desks, instead coming and going when votes are called.
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