Impeachment: Senate vote busts Democrats' push to call witnesses
by Don Jacobson & Danielle HaynesSen. Elizabeth Warren waves to protesters from her car at the U.S. Capitol on Friday. The Senators are voting on whether to call for witnesses. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License PhotoPresident Donald Trump could be acquitted Friday in his Senate impeachment trial, now that adding witnesses and new evidence to the proceeding appears all but impossible for Democrats. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License PhotoPresident Donald Trump signs an executive order to create the office of a human trafficking czar after delivering remarks during the White House Summit on Human Trafficking: The 20th Anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 in the East Room of the the White House on Tuesday. Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI | License PhotoBella Hounakey, the newest member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and survivor of human trafficking delivered remarks prior to President Trump signing an executive order. Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI | License PhotoIn a photo taken from the U.S. Senate live video feed, House manager and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., speaks on Day 10 of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Senators could vote to acquit Trump on Friday. Screenshot via U.S. Senate | License PhotoSen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she would vote in favor of allowing witnesses in the impeachment trial, while Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said he would not. UPI | License PhotoU.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., speaks to the media in the Senate subway at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License PhotoThe U.S. Capitol at sunset during impeachment trial on Thursday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License PhotoSen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., speaks to the media on Thursday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License PhotoReporters take notes on their phones as they listen to Blumenthal. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License PhotoSen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., submitted a question during Thursday's proceedings that named the whistle-blower, whose complaint sparked the impeachment investigation. Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, refused to read it and Paul left the chamber. Photo by Alex Wroblewski/UPI | License PhotoTrump walks across the South Lawn to Marine One to depart for a trip to Harrison Charter Township, Mich., for a campaign rally on Wednesday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License PhotoSen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks to the members of the media in the Senate subway at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, where Trump's impeachment trial is underway. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License PhotoSen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks to the media in the Senate subway. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License PhotoSchumer and House Democrats are leaning on the unique experience of Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., who is the only member of Congress to have worked on all three modern impeachments. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License PhotoWhite House economic adviser Larry Kudlow prepares to speak in a television interview at the White House on Wednesday. Photo by Alex Wroblewski/UPI | License PhotoLev Parnas, an associate of Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, speaks to the media outside U.S Capitol with his lawyer Joseph Bondy after attending the impeachment trial on Wednesday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License PhotoTrump signs a United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday. Photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI | License PhotoParnas (C) arrives for the link:impeachment trial: "https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/01/29/Watch-live-Senate-begins-questioning-phase-of-impeachment-trial/9221580300144/"} on Wednesday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License PhotoTrump (L) delivers remarks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday. Trump presented a vision for a two-state solution for Middle East peace, offering a path to Palestinian statehood and a mutual recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI | License PhotoTrump's 80-page plan includes a map detailing the future Palestinian state and has been agreed to by Netanyahu and Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas opposes it. Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI | License PhotoSen. Mike Braun (L), R-Ind., speaks to the media alongside U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., during a break from the sixth day of Trump's impeachment trial at the U.S. Capitol on Monday. Photo by Alex Wroblewski/UPI | License PhotoSen. Tammy Baldwin (C), D-Wis., speaks to the media alongside Schumer (R) and Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., on Capitol Hill on Monday. Photo by Alex Wroblewski/UPI | License PhotoHouse impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff is joined by other Democratic managers while speaking to reporters. Witnesses are more likely to testify after a report about disclosures in former national security adviser John Bolton's upcoming book. Photo by Alex Wroblewski/UPI | License PhotoTrump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI | License PhotoTrump is expected to unveil a Middle East peace plan during Netanyahu's two-day visit. Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI | License PhotoTrump shakes hands with Netanyahu in Oval Office. Photo by Michael Reynolds/UPI | License PhotoSenate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky heads back to the Senate floor after a break during President Donald Trump's impeachment trial on Friday. Photo by Alex Wroblewski/UPI | License PhotoSen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks to reporters about the impeachment of President Donald Trump in the senate subway station. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License PhotoSen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., walks into the U.S Capitol during the fourth day of President Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate on January 24, 2020. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License PhotoSupreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presides over the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Thursday. Image courtesy U.S. Senate/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 31 (UPI) -- The Senate on Friday voted 51-49 against a motion to subpoena witnesses and documents in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial.
Senators took a break immediately after the vote during which Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York described the outcome of the vote a "grand tragedy."
"America will remember this day, unfortunately, when the Senate did not live up to its responsibilities, when the Senate turned away from truth and went along with a sham trial," he told reporters.
The outcome of the vote was a forgone conclusion after Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced she would vote against witnesses. She, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Collins and Romney were seen as swing votes heading into Friday.
The Senate closed the questioning stage of the trial on Thursday and on Friday entered a phase to consider all motions.
This is the stage at which Democrats hoped to persuade at least four GOP senators to join them and vote to include key witnesses such as former national security adviser John Bolton and and White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.
"The House chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed," Murkowski said in a statement. "I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, to cure the shortcomings of its process, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena."
After Friday's witness vote, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell introduced a resolution laying out the schedule for the rest of the trial. Monday will be final arguments and a final vote on whether to convict Trump will take place Wednesday.
The Senate passed the resolution.
Trump had hoped to have the trial over with before Tuesday's State of the Union address.
Republicans, meanwhile, tabled four Democratic amendments introduced later Friday. They called for the subpoenas of acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, former national security adviser John Bolton, Michael Duffey, associate director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Mulvaney aide Robert Blair.
Before the close of Friday's proceedings, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who presided over the trial, told senators he won't break any potential ties in future votes.
