The Senate leaders have reached a deal with House impeachment managers on the rules for the second trial of former President Donald Trump.
"All parties have agreed to a structure that will ensure a fair and honest impeachment trial," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Monday on the Senate floor. "The structure we have agreed to is eminently fair. It will allow for the trial to achieve its purpose: truth and accountability."
There will be a debate and a subsequent simple majority vote Tuesday on the constitutionality of the impeachment trial of a former president. The Democrats have more votes in the Senate if it breaks 50-50, since Vice President Kamala Harris would cast the deciding vote. Late last month, 5 anti-Trump Republicans voted with Democrats to proceed to a Senate trial.
Then, Wednesday, there will be 16 hours of debate for both the House impeachment managers and Trump's defense lawyers. Trump has declined an invitation to testify on his behalf.
After the senator jurors' question period, there will be a debate and a vote on whether to call witnesses, as requested by the House impeachment managers. No witnesses were called during the passing of the House article of impeachment of "incitement of an insurrection."
"There must, there must be truth and accountability if we are going to move forward, heal, and bring our country together once again," Schumer said. "Sweeping something as momentous as this under the rug brings no healing whatsoever.
"A president cannot simply resign to avoid accountability for an impeachable offense, nor can they escape judgment by waiting until their final few weeks in office to betray our country."
"The impeachment powers," he added, "cannot be defeated by a president who decides to run."
The trial will recess by Friday 5 p.m. ET through Saturday at the request of defense attorney David Schoen, who observes the Jewish Sabbath, per the report.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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