Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ripped senators who voted against approving further witness testimony in the Senate’s impeachment trial against President Donald Trump, saying the lawmakers were part of a “cover-up”. RNA - “The Senate Republicans’ vote against calling witnesses and compelling documents in the impeachment proceedings makes them accomplices to the President’s cover-up,” she said in a statement, The Hill reported.
The Senate voted by a 51-49 margin to bar witnesses from appearing before the chamber in its impeachment investigation. Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Mitt Romney (Utah) were the only Republicans to join all 47 Democrats in voting to approve the witness measure.
The House impeached Trump on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in December over his dealings with Ukraine. Democrats stated that Trump inappropriately pressured Kyiv to investigate his political rivals, including former Vice President Joe Biden, and obstructed Congress by seeking to hamper subsequent probes into his conduct.
The House heard from several government officials, but were blocked by the White House from hearing from those close to Trump.
Republicans said the House should not have voted on the articles after what they said was an incomplete investigation.
“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 shortcomings of its process, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena,” noted Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who had been considered a swing vote on the witness measure.
However, Democrats argued that new evidence surfaced since the House’s December vote mandated further witness testimony. Among the most sought-after witnesses was former National Security Adviser John Bolton, who alleged in his upcoming memoir that Trump directly tied the withholding of $391 million in military aide to Ukraine to Kyiv’s willingness to conduct his requested investigations.
“It is a sad day for America to see Senator [Mitch] McConnell require the Chief Justice of the United States to preside over a vote which rejected our nation’s judicial norms, precedents and institutions to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law,” added Pelosi.
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