The republican group in the Senate of the united States is willing to start with the trial for the impeachment of Donald Trump, yet without reaching an agreement with the democratic minority on the possibility of appearance of witnesses. So what has been said this Tuesday, Mitch McConnell, the leader of the republican majority in the upper House, in a brief interview in which he assured to have the 51 votes needed to begin the trial, leaving the decision to request testimony or documents after the parties make their opening statements.
this happened in the trial for the impeachment of the democrat Bill Clinton, in 1999, although there is a substantial difference: this time the senators have a lot less information about the case, because during the investigation the president Trump ordered his Administration to block any request for documents or witnesses coming from the House of Representatives. That is why the leader of the house, Nancy Pelosi, refuses to submit to the Senate two articles of impeachment approved on the 19th of December, one for abuse of power and another for obstruction of Congress, on a pulse by agreeing with the republicans fair rules for the trial.
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Democrats and republicans clash by the terms of the judgment to Trump The House of Representatives approves the ‘impeachment’ against Donald Trump
republicans have been consulted and have among their ranks and have proven that they would have enough votes to proceed with the plan of McDonnell. This would allow the republicans to set the rules without the acquiescence of the democrats, who have been quick to criticize the initiative of the leader of the majority. The republicans, said the democratic minority leader in the Senate, Charles Schumer, would be part of a “cover-up big and horrible” if you prevent the evidence coming to light.
democrats spent weeks trying to convince a group of republican senators to support them in order to ensure, before the start of the trial, the appearance of four witnesses. But this Tuesday, some of those republicans have indicated that they would have no objection to the call to the witnesses to occur on a second phase of the trial.
The first step is heated even more after the exconsejero of National Security John Bolton announced on Monday that they would be willing to testify if called to the Senate. His testimony would be significant, as it has direct knowledge about the behavior of Trump in the frame of Ukraine. Some republicans were quick to object that the Senate may not call witnesses who did not appear in the course of the investigation in the House of Representatives. The own Trump has retuiteado a message from senator Marco Rubio in which he defended that stance.
The pressure of the republicans on Pelosi to deliver the articles of impeachment is intensified. Their behavior, has said the own McConnell, it is “inappropriate”, “embarrassing” and “cavalier with the american people”. “The leader of the House of Representatives are not going to write new rules for the Senate,” he added. This Tuesday afternoon, Pelosi had yet to be pronounced, and the patience of the republicans waned.
