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The Senate’s impeachment trial is ready to begin.
According to a report, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is ready without an agreement with Democrats on witnesses.
McConnell is moving forward with the rules of the impeachment trial without Democratic support.
The Republican from Kentucky has secured enough backing from his 53-member caucus to pass a blueprint for the trial.
That blueprint would leave the question of seeking witnesses and documents until after the making of opening arguments.
From Breitbart News:
Politico reports:
McConnell has locked down sufficient backing in his 53-member caucus to pass a blueprint for the trial that leaves the question of seeking witnesses and documents until after opening arguments are made, according to multiple senators.
That framework would mirror the contours of President Bill Clinton’s trial and ignore Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s demands for witnesses and new evidence at the outset.
No final decision has been made to move forward with a partisan approach, but in a brief interview, McConnell said he would address the possibility of spurning Democrats on Tuesday afternoon.
He’s already won key backing from the handful of Republican swing votes heading into the trial.
