It's February 4, 2020. It's the 12th day of the impeachment trial of President Donald

J. Trump. I'm Margaret Taylor, senior editor at Law Fair. Yesterday, senators listened

to the closing arguments of the parties and the trial formally adjourned until 4 p.m.

tomorrow, February 5. Though it is technically not a formal part of the impeachment proceedings,

senators now have their chance to make speeches in 10 minute increments on the Senate floor.

In this episode, we have compiled a sampling of statements made by senators from both sides

of the aisle. This is the impeachment episode 12. Senators have the opportunity to make

speeches on the Senate floor.

Mr. President, these past weeks, the Senate has grappled with his grave as subject as we

ever consider a request from a majority in the House to remove the President. The

framers took impeachment extremely seriously, but they harrid no illusions that these trials

will always begin for the right reasons. Alexander Hamilton warned the demon of faction would

extend his sceptor over the House of Representatives at certain seasons. He warned that an

intemperate or designing majority in the House might misuse impeachment as a weapon of ordinary

politics rather than a emergency tool of less resort. The framers knew impeachment might

begin with overheated passions and short-term factualism, but they knew those things could

not get the final say. So they placed the ultimate judgment not in the fractious lower chamber,

but in the sober and stable Senate. They wanted impeachment trials to be fair to both sides.

They wanted them to be timely, avoiding the procrastinated determination of the charges.

They wanted us to take a deep breath and decide which outcome would reflect the facts,

protect our institutions, and advance the common good. They called the Senate, quote,

the most fit depository of this important trust. Tomorrow, we'll know whether that trust was well

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