DETROIT – History will be made as the third impeachment trial in U.S. history begins on Tuesday.
Parts of the impeachment trail will feel familiar. The first thing that will be done will be to establish rules for the trial then each side will make an opening statement. After the opening statements each side will present its case.
Then senators will get to ask questions, that will take a few days. Then there could be witnesses. After that the senators will deliberate, although many seem to have already made up their minds. There will be a vote for either conviction or acquittal, then the verdict will be delivered.
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Sen. Mitch McConnell will set the rules that govern the trial. McConnell doesn’t need support from any Democrats to establish the rules he wants, because a majority vote wins and there are 53 Republicans who remain a mostly unified block.
McConnell has said he favors a fast trial with no witnesses. Democrats want to hear from four witnesses and also see the documents that the White House has now refused to produce. On this issue, the Republican majority is not a sure thing.
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Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski head a group of four Senate Republicans who indicate a willingness to break party ranks and vote with Democrats to hear from witnesses. If those four vote with Democrats then witnesses would be subpoenaed.
The Democrats would like to call National Security Adviser John Bolton, acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, and two White House budget officials. Some Republican senators have suggested that if those witnesses are subpoenaed they would vote to subpoena Hunter Biden and possible former Vice President Joe Biden.
The fight over witnesses could happen right away, providing plenty of fireworks on the first day.