Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday called on Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to get the ball rolling on the impeachment trial against President Trump.
The Kentucky Republican said Mr. Schumer doesn’t need to be at the whim of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who has withheld the articles of impeachment for about three weeks.
The Senate can’t begin the trial until it receives the charges from the House under current precedent. Ms. Pelosi has said she would not turn over the articles until she is guaranteed the GOP-controlled Senate will hold a fair trial.
“The Senate is not a creature of the House,” Mr. McConnell said.
“Stand up for the Senate. Stand up for our institutions. Stand up for the country,” he said, directing his comments to the New York Democrat.
The minority leader, though, did not heed the call Wednesday. Instead, he took to the chamber floor and continued to stress the need for more witnesses and documents at the trial — which has been a sticking point for Democrats.
Republicans have said the trial should follow the same rules as the 1999 Senate trial of President Clinton. During those proceedings, House managers presented their case for impeachment and the president’s legal team responded before the issue of witness testimony was voted on by the Senate.
Under Senate rules, it takes 51 senators to call a witness. The GOP holds 53 seats while the Democratic caucus accounts for 45 seats. There are also two independent senators, Maine Sen. Angus King and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who caucus with the Democrats.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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