Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced on Friday that she opposes calling for new witnesses and documents in President Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial which effectively ends Democrats’ hopes of prolonging the trial.
“I worked for a fair, hones, and transparent process, modeled after the Clinton trial, to provide ample time for both sides to present their cases, ask thoughtful questions, and determine whether we need more,” Murkowski said in a statement. “The House chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed. I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents , to cure the shortcoming, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena.”
“Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate. I don’t believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed,” Murkowski continued.
BREAKING: GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski: “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.” https://t.co/8dPFKZkZJk pic.twitter.com/HB83VKLKcc
— ABC News (@ABC) January 31, 2020
Washington Post senior political reporter Aaron Blake noted that part of Murkowski’s statement was aimed at Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), writing: “Murkowski also has choice words clearly aimed at @ewarren: ‘It has also become clear some of my colleagues intend to further politicize this process, and drag the Supreme Court into the fray, while attacking the Chief Justice. I will not stand for nor support that effort.’”
Murkowski also has choice words clearly aimed at @ewarren:
“It has also become clear some of my colleagues intend to further politicize this process, and drag the Supreme Court into the fray, while attacking the Chief Justice. I will not stand for nor support that effort.”
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) January 31, 2020
“We are sadly at a low point of division in this country,” Murkowski concluded.
BREAKING: GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski: “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.” https://t.co/8dPFKZkZJk pic.twitter.com/HB83VKLKcc
— ABC News (@ABC) January 31, 2020
“We are sadly at a low point of division in this country,” Murkowski concluded.
Murkowski’s announcement effectively ends Democrats’ hopes of continuing Trump’s Senate trial as they do not have the votes needed to call for additional witnesses and documents.
Republican Senators Mitt Romney (UT) and Susan Collins (ME) both stated this week that they were in favor of calling for new witnesses to testify in trial.
Another key Senator that Democrats hoped to flip was Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who is retiring at the end of his term.
However, late on Thursday night Alexander announced that he was not in favor of calling for additional witnesses and documents in the trial.
“I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the U.S. Constitution’s high bar for an impeachable offense,” Alexander said, later adding, “But the Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this year’s ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate. The question then is not whether the president did it, but whether the United States Senate or the American people should decide what to do about what he did.”
“Even if the House charges were true, they do not meet the Constitution’s ‘treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors’ standard for an impeachable offense,” Alexander continued. “The framers believed that there should never, ever be a partisan impeachment. That is why the Constitution requires a 2/3 vote of the Senate for conviction. Yet not one House Republican voted for these articles.”
“If this shallow, hurried and wholly partisan impeachment were to succeed, it would rip the country apart, pouring gasoline on the fire of cultural divisions that already exist,” Alexander continued. “It would create the weapon of perpetual impeachment to be used against future presidents whenever the House of Representatives is of a different political party.”
Alexander concluded: “Our founding documents provide for duly elected presidents who serve with ‘the consent of the governed,’ not at the pleasure of the United States Congress. Let the people decide.”
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