Page 4 - AT

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 4 January 2020
McConnell and Pelosi give no signs

of budging on impeachment

By LISA MASCARO Democrats believe their ment" against having wit-
AP Congressional Corre- demands for witnesses are nesses and documents in
spondent bolstered by new reports the trial.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Con- about Trump's decision to Two Republican senators,
gress opened the new year withhold the aid and un- Lisa Murkowski and Susan
with the Senate dead- ease among some GOP Collins, have indicated
locked over President Don- senators over the situation. they were open to hearing
ald Trump's impeachment "The American people de- from more witnesses and
trial, leaving the proceed- serve the truth," Pelosi said registered their concerns
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., speaks on the ings deeply in flux as Re- in a statement. "Every Sen- about McConnell's claim
Senate floor, Friday, Jan. 3, 2020 at the Capitol in Washington. publicans refuse to bend to ator now faces a choice: that he was working closely
Associated Press Democratic demands for to be loyal to the President with the White House on the
new witnesses. or the Constitution." format for the trial. Senators
Senate Majority Leader McConnell has said the trial up for re-election in 2020
Mitch McConnell showed should start and then sena- will face particular pressure
no signs Friday of negotiat- tors can decide the scope. over their votes.
ing with the Democrats as Acquittal seems likely in the Trump wants not only ac-
he aims for Trump's swift ac- Senate because Republi- quittal in the trial but also
quittal. At the same time, cans hold a 53-47 seat ma- vindication from his GOP
the Republican leader ac- jority and it takes two thirds allies.
knowledged the Senate of the Senate to convict. The witnesses that Senate
cannot begin the historic But McConnell's leverage Democrats want to call re-
undertaking until House is limited during the trial. fused to testify in the House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi deliv- Either side needs to reach proceedings under orders
ers the articles of impeach- just a 51-vote threshold to from the White House. They
ment — which she is refus- call witnesses or seek doc- are Trump's former nation-
ing to do until he provides uments, which could politi- al security adviser John
details on the trial's scope. cally test some senators. Bolton, acting chief of staff
Neither seems willing to As he opened the cham- Mick Mulvaney and two
budge. ber Friday, McConnell criti- other officials who were di-
"Their turn is over," McCon- cized House Democrats as rectly involved with Trump's
nell said about the Demo- having engineered a "slap- decision to withhold the mil-
cratic-led House. "It's the dash" impeachment that itary assistance for Ukraine .
Senate's turn now to ren- was the "most rushed, least Republicans, in turn, could
der sober judgment as the fair" in history, only to now try to hear from Biden or
framers intended." forcibly postpone the pro- his son, Hunter Biden, who
Pelosi responded that Mc- ceedings while they seek worked for an energy com-
Connell's stance "made more information. pany in Ukraine while his fa-
clear that he will feebly The GOP leader did not ther was vice president.
comply with President defend or criticize the More information keeps
Trump's cover-up of his president's actions toward flowing. A federal judge on
abuses of power and be Ukraine. But he invoked the Friday allowed a Rudy Giu-
an accomplice to that Founding Fathers' vision of liani associate indicted on
cover-up." the slower-moving Senate campaign finance charg-
The House and Senate as "an institution that could es, Lev Parnas, to turn over
gaveled in for brief sessions stop momentary hysteria documents to Congress as
Friday with the sudden cri- and partisan passions." part of the impeachment
sis in the Middle East only Senate Minority Leader proceeding. Parnas and
adding to the uncertainty Chuck Schumer also drew another man, Igor Fruman,
about how lawmakers on the founders to pressure played key roles in efforts
will proceed with the im- Republican senators not by Giuliani, Trump's per-
peachment trial, only the to fall lockstep in line with sonal lawyer, to launch a
third in U.S. history. Trump, as they typically do, Ukrainian corruption inves-
Trump was impeached last but fulfill their role as jurors. tigation against Democrat-
month by the House on "The vital question, of ic presidential candidate
charges that he abused whether or not we have a Biden.
power and obstructed fair trial, ultimately rests with McConnell showed no
Congress in his dealings a majority of the senators signs of deviating from his
with Ukraine. Trump with- in this chamber,'' Schumer opening stance. He de-
held nearly $400 million in said. He is pressing to hear fended his earlier remarks
military aid for Ukraine, an testimony from at least in which he said he would
Eastern European ally that four new witnesses, all of not be an ''impartial juror"
depends on U.S. support to whom refused to appear in the trial and stuck with his
counter Russia, after asking in the House proceedings plan to follow the process
President Volodymyr Zelen- before the House voted to used during Bill Clinton's im-
skiy to publicly announce impeach Trump last month. peachment, in which the
an investigation into Trump "We need the whole truth," trial was convened and
rival Joe Biden. The aid was Schumer said. McConnell, then votes were taken to
ultimately released after he said, has been unable decide if additional wit-
Congress objected. to make "one single argu- nesses were needed.q