Senate

Schumer vows votes to try to ‘fix’ McConnell impeachment rules

by Jordain Carney - 01/21/20 11:52 AM ET

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) vowed that Democrats will force votes on Tuesday to try to change a Republican rules resolution governing the impeachment trial.

Schumer, speaking to reporters, said the votes will focus on calling witnesses, compelling documents related to the delayed Ukraine aid and trying to fix the most “egregious departures” from the 1999 Clinton proceedings and “many flaws” included in the proposed trial rules.

The resolution “asks the Senate to sprint through the trial as fast as possible and makes getting evidence as hard as possible. Bottom line: Leader McConnell wants the process as rushed … [and] in the dark of night,” Schumer said.

The Senate impeachment trial starts at 1 p.m., when the chamber will debate the rules circulated by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday night.

Democrats have taken issue with two provisions in particular: Under the rules proposal, both House managers and Trump’s legal team get 24 hours to present their case, but unlike the 1999 Clinton trial the time would have to be used within a two day span.

Another provision would not admit House evidence into the record until after the Senate has an initial vote on witnesses and documents. That vote will not take place until after opening arguments and senators get to ask questions in writing.

Schumer declined to provide details on what votes Democrats will force, or how many, telling reporters to “wait and see” but that they didn’t want to be “dilatory.”

The first vote Democrats will force, according to Schumer, is to try to compel the White House to hand over documents related to the Ukraine aid that is at the heart of the impeachment effort.

“No one can argue that these documents are not directly related. … People should understand that the documents can shed as much light on why the aid was cut off, who did it,” Schumer said.

The documents would include meetings and calls between Trump, top administration officials and the Ukrainian government.

Democrats have lambasted the proposed rules, calling them a “national disgrace” and a “cover-up” that, if Republicans approve them, would mark “one of the very dark days of the Senate.”

“If the president is so confident in this case, then why won’t he present it in broad daylight? … Instead of at 2 a.m.? Well it’s pretty obvious, it’s pretty obvious, why not,” Schumer said.

McConnell has said he has the 51 votes necessary to pass the rules over objections from Democrats.

Tags Chuck Schumer Mitch McConnell