Good morning from D.C.
The impeachment trial reconvenes at 1PM ET.
Here are the broadstrokes of what we can expect:
When trial resumes, WH defense and impchmt mgrs get 2 hours each to make presentations Then, a vote on witnesses expected in early evening, 5-6PM ET.
(continued)
The impeachment trial reconvenes at 1PM ET.
Here are the broadstrokes of what we can expect:
When trial resumes, WH defense and impchmt mgrs get 2 hours each to make presentations Then, a vote on witnesses expected in early evening, 5-6PM ET.
(continued)
There's a couple ways this could shake out.
If GOP manages to block new witnesses, McConnell could push forward to vote on the articles of impeachment.
If that happens, that opens the floor to amendments.
As it was when the resolution was adopted, expect a lot of them.
If GOP manages to block new witnesses, McConnell could push forward to vote on the articles of impeachment.
If that happens, that opens the floor to amendments.
As it was when the resolution was adopted, expect a lot of them.
Another possible scenario is a deadlock 50-50 tie.
Chief Justice Roberts, as the presiding officer, has the authority to break the tie, but doing so would put him in a politically charged situation.
What will he do? We'll see.
Chief Justice Roberts, as the presiding officer, has the authority to break the tie, but doing so would put him in a politically charged situation.
What will he do? We'll see.
Most unlikely scenario: Senate votes to call witnesses.
Dems need 4 Rs to nab that vote or 3 w/Roberts approval and then the trial continues.
But this creates new hurdles for Ds if asking for multiple witnesses. They need 4 Repubs on each individual request for each witness.
Dems need 4 Rs to nab that vote or 3 w/Roberts approval and then the trial continues.
But this creates new hurdles for Ds if asking for multiple witnesses. They need 4 Repubs on each individual request for each witness.
I will be in and out of the Senate chamber watching proceedings unfold so tweets will be more intermittent today.
Follow me, @JackRodgersCNS, @ByTimRyan and @CourthouseNews for updates.
Follow me, @JackRodgersCNS, @ByTimRyan and @CourthouseNews for updates.
Hallowed halls on a historic day.
Before going into the breach this morning, I had a chat with two Americans exercising their #FirstAmendment. Details soon.
#impeachment
cc: @CourthouseNews
#impeachment
cc: @CourthouseNews
@CourthouseNews With just over 30 minutes left until President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate begins, I took a lap out front of the Capitol. There were several protesters (about 30+/-) gathered at the moment. The loudest chant I heard: "Donald Trump is Guilty"
@CourthouseNews Little known fact about me (if you don't work with me on a regular basis anyway): The U.S. Constitution is my favorite document of all time.
Today, of all days, I encourage you to read it:
senate.gov/civics/constit…
Today, of all days, I encourage you to read it:
senate.gov/civics/constit…
@CourthouseNews During the prayer, the chamber was silent as a tomb. Heads were deeply cowed, and nearly all eyes were closed. When I was here last week, during prayer, eyes were flitting about. The weight of the moment is upon lawmakers.
@CourthouseNews Also notable: when Schiff mentioned the NYT report out this morning (STORY HERE: courthousenews.com/bolton-book-de…), Mitch McConnell pressed his lips firmly together.
@CourthouseNews Sen. Susan Collins took notes for nearly 20 minutes straight once trial was underway, her desk littered with binders and notebooks. The first time she stopped writing was when Val Demings said 3x: "Is this a fair trial?" and she looked straight at Demings, stared for a moment
@CourthouseNews When Val Demings remarked, "Today we have new evidence," I also observed Susan Collins smile.
From my vantage point in the press gallery, it is hard to see who or what exactly she was smiling at. I cannot say definitively, but nonetheless, it was a short lived smile.
From my vantage point in the press gallery, it is hard to see who or what exactly she was smiling at. I cannot say definitively, but nonetheless, it was a short lived smile.
@CourthouseNews Spotted: Around 1:45PM Schumer passed a note to a page who ferried it to Sen. Joe Manchin.
@CourthouseNews By 2 P.M. Susan Collins had organized what was first a stack of scattered papers and notebooks littering her desk. Seated nearby, Senator Lisa Murkowski sat before a bare desk though she was reading papers couched in her lap.
@CourthouseNews Senate Majority Whip John Thune has been up and down between 1:30-2:30PM, he was taking notes in his lap but stopped when impeachment manager Hakeem Jeffries was playing back testimony from Fiona Hill
@CourthouseNews Senator Manchin has been sitting with a large binder in his lap, annotating from time to time, he occasionally whispered to Senator Baldwin who is seated next to him.
@CourthouseNews As of 2:15PM, I had yet to see Senator Lindsey Graham inside the chamber. And talking at a near non-stop clip from the time the pledge of allegiance ended until 2:40PM - Senators Crapo and Risch. Little notetaking, but lots of gabbing.
@CourthouseNews Senator Brian Schatz was seen taking notes and then stopping to literally wring his hands from being sore, it appeared.
Overall, very few Republicans taking notes since start until 2:30-2:45PM.
Overall, very few Republicans taking notes since start until 2:30-2:45PM.
@CourthouseNews President Trump’s impeachment trial appears heading for a swift resolution barring a surprise defection after Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced she will not vote to call additional witnesses in the Senate proceeding.
courthousenews.com/murkowski-doom…
(via myself, @ByTimRyan, @JackRodgersCNS)
courthousenews.com/murkowski-doom…
(via myself, @ByTimRyan, @JackRodgersCNS)
@CourthouseNews @ByTimRyan @JackRodgersCNS I've emerged and I've come with color from inside the gallery.
@CourthouseNews @ByTimRyan @JackRodgersCNS Following up on this tweet from earlier -
Sen Graham was back in the room at the top of the Republican arguments. When Schiff returned to the dais, Graham left the room again.
Sen Graham was back in the room at the top of the Republican arguments. When Schiff returned to the dais, Graham left the room again.
@CourthouseNews @ByTimRyan @JackRodgersCNS Graham is not taking any notes today that I have seen. He also looked fairly comfortable leaned back in his chair with his left arm sprawled out on the armrest of Sen. Moran's empty seat close. This was around 4PM.
@CourthouseNews @ByTimRyan @JackRodgersCNS When Dems presented their case during the first block of arguments (period from 1:30-3PM), McConnell barely had his head raised to watch, often chatting with GOP secy seated next to him & reading from a binder.
But when Philbin came up, McC's eyes utterly locked onto Philbin
But when Philbin came up, McC's eyes utterly locked onto Philbin
McConnell's gaze so firmly trained on WH counselor Philbin, I had the thought: Wow, I would not want to be him right now.
A lot of pressure to perform for McConnell.
A lot of pressure to perform for McConnell.
Sen. Susan Collins resumed taking notes as Philbin was arguing that the Senate would “have to make up for their errors,” a reference to the House.
During WH arguments, many Rs taking notes including Inhofe, Loeffler, Crapo, Portman, Cornyn, Grassley, Cruz.
During WH arguments, many Rs taking notes including Inhofe, Loeffler, Crapo, Portman, Cornyn, Grassley, Cruz.
The public gallery has filled out considerably since proceedings began this morning.
Sen. Grassley is showing signs of fatigue, hands resting on top of head, rocking back and forth in his chair.
Sen. Grassley is showing signs of fatigue, hands resting on top of head, rocking back and forth in his chair.
When Schiff referred to WH argument that POTUS is able to abuse power "if in name of public interest" - what Schiff dubbed "The Dershowitz Principle of Constitutional Lawlessness" - Philbin's irritation was plain on his face as he squinted his eyes and cocked his neck back.
When Schiff pushed back against Jay Sekulow argument that impeachment mgrs were not prepared, the WH defense team had mixed reactions. Philbin offered a wry smile, Sekulow did not.
McConnell spotted whispering at length to the woman next to him while Schiff was remarking and affecting disbelief while he spoke, that the House “should have fought harder to overcome the White House’s stonewalling.”
Pardon, the woman next to him is the GOP secy.
McConnell and secy write notes on a white shared legal pad to each other and at one point while Schiff speaking, McConnell smiled at her note and offered a single thumbs up.
McConnell and secy write notes on a white shared legal pad to each other and at one point while Schiff speaking, McConnell smiled at her note and offered a single thumbs up.
Senate Majority Whip John Thune and McConnell are communicating through this pad while Dems speak, steadily passing it back and forth to each other.
My colleague @JackRodgersCNS father pitched us a great story idea today:
"Where are the William Ruckelshauses of this generation?"
Mr. Ruckelshaus recently passed away in November. I truly wonder what he would have to say today.
nytimes.com/2019/11/27/us/…
cc: @CourthouseNews
"Where are the William Ruckelshauses of this generation?"
Mr. Ruckelshaus recently passed away in November. I truly wonder what he would have to say today.
nytimes.com/2019/11/27/us/…
cc: @CourthouseNews
@JackRodgersCNS @CourthouseNews NOW - The senate is voting on whether to call witnesses.
cc: @CourthouseNews
cc: @CourthouseNews
@JackRodgersCNS @CourthouseNews BREAKING: No witnesses will be called in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
Final vote: 49-51.
cc: @CourthouseNews
Final vote: 49-51.
cc: @CourthouseNews
@JackRodgersCNS @CourthouseNews Inside the chamber, as the yeas and nays played out, it was very quiet, only a cough here or there to break up the silence.
@JackRodgersCNS @CourthouseNews Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is meeting with his caucus now. It is unclear at the moment when exactly lawmakers will return to the chamber tonight.
@JackRodgersCNS @CourthouseNews @senatemajldr NOW: In what Democrats condemned as a premature end to President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, Republicans killed a motion Friday that would have allowed for new witnesses and evidence.
(via myself, @JackRodgersCNS & @ByTimRyan)
cc: @CourthouseNews
(via myself, @JackRodgersCNS & @ByTimRyan)
cc: @CourthouseNews
@JackRodgersCNS @CourthouseNews @senatemajldr @ByTimRyan House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer weighs in on the failure of the U.S. Senate to call witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump:
@JackRodgersCNS @CourthouseNews @senatemajldr @ByTimRyan House Impeachment Manager Val Demings weighs in:
And in that vein, in the words of a fellow American I met this morning, who was standing in the cold, exercising his First Amendment:
"Do not despair!"
And in that vein, in the words of a fellow American I met this morning, who was standing in the cold, exercising his First Amendment:
"Do not despair!"
Scenes from an impeachment as GOP Sen. Mike Braun speaks to reporters following the vote:
(Credit @JackRodgersCNS)
(Credit @JackRodgersCNS)
All right folks, in just the last 48 hours of living, breathing, eating and sleeping impeachment, this reporter running on 3 hours sleep is checking out for the evening.
Be sure to follow @KlasfeldReports, @MMineiro_CNS and @CourthouseNews for updates.
Be sure to follow @KlasfeldReports, @MMineiro_CNS and @CourthouseNews for updates.
