Impeachment trial: Senate adopts rules for Trump trial after heated first day

Washington — The first day of President Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate stretched from midday Tuesday into the wee hours of Wednesday. It featured contentious exchanges between House managers acting as the prosecution and the White House legal team, with senators voting almost entirely along party lines to reject Democratic efforts to subpoena new witnesses.

Increasingly restless senators sat silently as impeachment managers and White House lawyers clashed over 11 amendments to a resolution setting the trial’s rules. It was proposed by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican and strong ally of the president.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is presiding over the trial, just the third of its type in U.S. history.

Democrats accuse Republicans of covering up a scheme by Mr. Trump to pressure Ukraine to benefit him politically, while Republicans argue Democrats should have challenged the White House in the courts to obtain the testimony and records they’re now seeking.

The McConnell resolution delays votes on subpoenaing witnesses and documents until both sides finish presenting their opening arguments. A simple majority of senators — 51 votes— is needed to approve the resolution, amendments and other motions. There are 53 Republicans in the Senate and 47 Democrats, including two independents.

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, offered a series of amendments to subpoena White House and administration officials, an effort that was doomed to fail after the first amendment was rejected in a straight party line vote of 53 to 47.

Nonetheless, ten more amendments were proposed as the session progressed. All were tabled, all but one with party line votes. Maine Republican Susan Collins sided with Democrats on one measure.

Finally, nearly 13 hours after the opening gavel, the Senate adjourned until 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Senate wraps up session that lasted almost 13 hours
After a session that was just shy of 13 hours — twelve hours and 50 minutes, to be exact — the Senate finally adjourned at 1:50 a.m. It’s scheduled to reconvene at 1 p.m.

Senate passes McConnell’s proposed organizing resolution
After more than 12 hours of debate, the Senate passed the organizing resolution from McConnell, without any of the 11 amendments proposed by Schumer.

The vote was, yet again, along party lines, 53-47.

Senate tables 11th and final amendment
After several hours of considering various amendments, the Senate voted to table the 11th and final amendment. It once again voted along party lines, 53 to 47.

The Senate will now proceed to vote on the resolution itself.

Schumer introduces 11th amendment
Schumer introduced what appeared to be the last amendment of the night shortly before 1:30 a.m. It would authorize the chief justice to determine if the Senate should summon a witness or documents.