Today was not a good day for Chuck Schumer or the Democrat impeachment coup against President Trump!
Not at all!
Schumer tried not once, but 7 times (and counting), to get an amendment to the impeachment rules passed that would change the game in the favor of Dems, including the ability to subpoena documents and witnesses at the trial.
Each and every one was struck down by a Senate vote!
Take a look:
But Schumer's still trying.
His eighth amendment will be introduced tonight and will try to subpoena John Bolton.
Remember, folks:
Bloomberg has more on how the impeachment trial has gone for Schumer and the Dems so far:
Donald Trump’s impeachment trial began Tuesday, making him the third president in U.S. history to face possible removal from office by the Senate. He is charged with abusing his office and obstructing the House investigation of his actions.
Here are the latest developments:
Republicans Stick Together on Trial Rules (12:02 a.m.)
The Senate voted 53-47 to shelve the seventh amendment from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, continuing a long day of straight party-line votes on the rules for Trump’s impeachment trial.
Schumer then offered his eighth amendment, calling for the Senate to subpoena former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
Late-Night Amendment Again Shelved by GOP (11:17 p.m.)
The Senate voted by the same party-line margin, 53-47, to shelve Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s sixth amendment to the resolution that will set the rules for the Senate trial.
Schumer previously rejected a request from McConnell to bundle his amendments together to speed the procedural debate. Democrats said the discussion about calling witnesses and seeking new evidence is too important to cut short.
With the debate stretching into its 10th hour, Schumer offered a seventh amendment regarding the admission of evidence.
GOP Votes Down Another Democratic Amendment (10:29 p.m.)
All 53 Republican senators voted to shelve the fifth amendment from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, which would have subpoenaed documents from the Department of Defense. They overruled the 47 Democratic senators who wanted to include Schumer’s amendment to the trial rules offered by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, one of the impeachment managers, acknowledged that the night was getting long for senators who had been in the chamber since 1 p.m. But he said “it’s not our job to make it easy for you” to disagree with calls for additional testimony.
Schumer then offered a sixth amendment to subpoena two additional Trump administration officials.
GOP Shelves Amendment to Call Mulvaney (9:27 p.m.)
The Senate once again voted on strict party lines to reject a Democratic amendment to subpoena acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to testify in the impeachment trial. Mulvaney is one of four Trump administration officials that Democrats say they want to call. The vote was 53-47.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will also offered a fifth amendment to the resolution setting trial rules, which would have the Senate subpoena documents from the Department of Defense related to Trump’s hold on aid for Ukraine.
Third Democratic Amendment Rejected by GOP (7:32 p.m.)
The Senate rejected the third Democratic amendment, which would have subpoenaed documents from the White House Office of Management and Budget. The vote again was 53-47.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer then offered an amendment that would require a subpoena for testimony from acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that after debate on the amendment, he will move to block it.
The Senate now will take a break until 8 p.m. for dinner before continuing into the evening.
Both Sides Spar Over Bolton Testimony (6:56 p.m.)
The House managers and the White House team sparred Tuesday over how seriously House Democrats tried to get testimony from Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton before the Senate trial began.
Lead House manager Adam Schiff disputed a claim by Trump’s lawyers that the House needs the Senate to help put together its case against the president by insisting on subpoenas for witnesses and documents. Schiff said the House is ready to prosecute its case.
“The House calls John Bolton!” said Schiff. And, referring to the acting White House chief of staff, he added, “The House calls Mick Mulvaney!”
Trump lawyer Pat Cipollone responded that Schiff may be making such declarations now, but that House investigators declined to subpoena Bolton during the House investigation.
“And now they come here and they ask you to issue a subpoena for John Bolton. It’s not right,” Cipollone said.
Later, Schiff said the House did invite Bolton to testify, but that Bolton’s lawyer said he wouldn’t appear and would sue if the House subpoenaed him.
Now, said Schiff, Bolton is willing to testify.
“I can’t speak to his motivation,” said Schiff. But he said that Bolton, for whatever reason, is now willing to testify.
Schumer Bid to Seek State Documents Rejected (6:31 p.m.)
The Senate rejected Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s amendment that would subpoena State Department documents on another 53-47 party-line vote.
Democratic House manager Val Demings had argued in favor of the amendment, saying that Trump ordered his administration “to defy every subpoena.”
“The president engaged in this coverup because he is guilty and he knows it,” said Demings of Florida, who served as Orlando’s first female police chief.
She said the Senate needs to see State Department officials’ text and WhatsApp messages, emails and notes. The agency has gathered the records and they’re ready to be turned over, Demings said.
Schumer proposed a third amendment that would subpoena documents from the White House Office of Management and Budget. -- Laura Litvan, Steven T. Dennis
GOP Defeats First Schumer Amendment to Rules (4:39 p.m.)
The Senate blocked Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s amendment that would subpoena White House documents about the Trump administration’s actions on Ukraine. The vote was 53-47.
Schumer offered another amendment that would subpoena State Department documents related to the articles of impeachment.
A statement from his office said the Trump administration prevented the State Department from turning over “highly relevant records and communications” that could shed light on the events in Ukraine underpinning the charge that Trump abused his office. -- Laura Litvan, Steven T. Dennis
Documents Vital to Fair Trial, Democrat Says (3:46 p.m.)
House impeachment manager Zoe Lofgren argued that Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s amendment to subpoena White House documents would produce vital evidence that could get at the truth behind the allegations about Trump’s decision to delay aid to Ukraine.
Getting the documents “would ensure a fair, legitimate trial based on the full evidentiary record,” Lofgren said.
While she insisted the House had already produced “powerful” evidence that Trump is guilty of the two articles, the White House has refused to produce key witnesses or documents.
Lofgren is the first female House impeachment manager to speak at a presidential impeachment trial.
“The amendment prevents the president from hiding evidence, as he has previously tried to do,” Lofgren said. She argued that the “most important documents” in the investigation would come from the White House.
She said those documents would reveal the extent of the administration’s coordination with people who acted on Trump’s behalf in Ukraine, and how key players in the White House, including acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, helped set up the deal by withholding the aid from Ukraine. -- Laura Litvan, Steven T. Dennis
Schumer Urges Senate to Subpoena Documents (2:51 p.m.)
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced an amendment that would order the White House to produce what could be thousands of pages of documents related to the charges against Trump, including material from Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.
That includes any records related to meetings or calls between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and any inquiries regarding Ukraine including those related to Joe Biden, his son Hunter and Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings, on whose board Hunter Biden served.
Other records that would be subpoenaed include those of then-White House National Security Advisor John Bolton and Robert Blair, a Mulvaney adviser, that relate to any efforts to coerce Ukraine’s leaders to investigate Biden in exchange for U.S. military assistance and a meeting between Zelenskiy and Trump.
In addition, the amendment seeks records related to efforts by Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and his associates regarding the decision to recall former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. -- Laura Litvan, Steven T. Dennis
The Wall Street Journal also gave a summary on the amendments that have been voted down so far:
First amendment: to subpoena White House documents, specifically communications involving officials within the West Wing and the National Security Council who have direct knowledge of the Ukraine matter.
Second amendment: to subpoena State Department documents related to the Ukraine matter
Third amendment: to subpoena documents from the Office of Management and Budget related to the Ukraine matter
Fourth amendment: to subpoena acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney to testify
Fifth amendment: to subpoena documents from the Department of Defense related to the Ukraine matter
Sixth amendment: for the taking of testimony of Robert B. Blair and Michael P. Duffey
Seventh amendment (set to be voted on shortly): to restrict the White House from selectively releasing documents
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