Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said Tuesday he will move to introduce amendments to the Senate Republicans’ resolution setting the rules for President Trump’s impeachment trial, demanding White House documents be subpoenaed.
The New York Democrat says the lawmakers need to see call logs and records between Mr. Trump and the Ukrainian president, and communications between White House personnel regarding the hold and eventual release of the Ukrainian military assistance.
“It’s very possible — even likely — that some of these communications may have been with President Trump,” Mr. Schumer told reporters. “That is why they are so important.”
He blasted Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s proposed rules, which were released Monday night, which give both the House managers and the president’s defense counsel 24 hours to present their arguments, with each side given two days to lay out their case, suggesting there will be presentations from 1 pm to the early hours of the morning for the duration of the trial.
“Why not when the sun is shining?” Mr. Schumer said. “It’s pretty obvious why not. On something as important as impeachment, McConnell’s resolution is nothing more than a national disgrace.”
He said the Kentucky Republican allows for a motion to dismiss at any time, putting “many obstacles” in the path ahead of a vote for more witness testimony, which has been a central demand from Democrats ahead of the trial.
House impeachment managers and Mr. Trump will each have 24 hours to make their case for and against his impeachment during the trial, which kicks off later this week, according to the proposed rules from a senior Republican leadership aide.
The 24-hour time window is the same that President Clinton was afforded in his 1999 trial, but both sides during that time made their arguments over a three-day period.
This time, however, the proposed rules give House impeachment managers just two session days, the same as the president’s legal team, suggesting the arguments could make for long 12-hour days.
After the arguments from both sides, senators will have 16 hours to submit written questions through Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. who will pose the questions to each side.
A vote on whether or not to call witnesses will come after the senators’ submit the questions. It would take 51 votes to do so. Republicans hold 53 seats, while the Democratic caucus holds 47.
Senators are expected to vote on the proposed rules Tuesday afternoon.
It’s expected Democrats will reject the proposals.
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