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Under the new set of rules released by Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, both parties
will be given 24 hours spread over two days to present their impeachment case – the Democrats for impeaching and removing, and the Republican party/Trump – for acquittal/dismissal.
Also another rule of the impeachment trial in the senate states that phones, electronic devices and journalist won’t be allowed to enter the senate house during the trial and no party will be allowed to subpoena witnesses or documents until after each side has made their case and 16 hours of questions have been asked.
If the new rules go into effect, Trump’s trial could quickly be wrapped up before he delivers his State of the Union address in February.
According to McConnell, the impeachment time table, as obtained by the Dailymail UK will go this way.
1.Tuesday afternoon: Chuck Schumer, the minority leader gets to present his plan and also has two hours to lay it out;
2. By 6pm: The Senate will go into closed session – meaning cameras are switched off, reporters are thrown out, and senators debate the proposal unwatched and unrecorded. The rules for that debate are unknown;
3.Tuesday evening: The Senate should return to open session to vote on the final rules.
4. Wednesday 9am: Deadline for Trump’s team to ask for an instant dismissal of the articles of impeachment – a possibility which Republicans have said would not pass the Senate.
5…11am: Each side has until then to file their response to motions put forward
6.. 1pm: If there are no motions to deal with, the Democrats start making their case and assuming that happens;
Friday 1pm: Democrats case has to conclude by now and have taken up no more than 24 hours.
7. Friday 1pm: Trump’s side begin making their case;
Schumer, after becoming aware of the rules set to be voted by the senate called them a ‘cover-up’ designed to hide evidence from the American people.
‘He doesn’t want to hear any of the evidence and he doesn’t want to hear any new evidence. That’s a cover-up, not a trial.’
‘Leader McConnell is going along with President Trump’s cover-up hook, line and sinker,’ the Democrat said.
‘When you look at his resolution, it’s no wonder he delayed it until the last minute. He didn’t want people to study it or know about it.’
‘ After reading his resolution, it’s clear Senator McConnell is hell-bent on making it much more difficult to get witnesses and documents and intent on rushing the trial through,’ Schumer said.
