The Moderates’ Impeachment Moment

The Daily

The New York Times

Daily News, News

4.4 • 102.8K Ratings

🗓️ 22 January 2020

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

After nearly 12 hours of vicious debate, the Senate voted early Wednesday to adopt the rules that will govern the rest of the impeachment trial. But in a Republican-controlled chamber, why weren’t they the rules that Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, had originally wanted? Guest: Julie Hirschfeld Davis, congressional editor for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: Voting along party lines, Senate Republicans blocked Democrats’ efforts to subpoena witnesses and documents related to President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.As the trial began in earnest, Mr. Trump was 4,000 miles away, touting the United States’ economic growth at the World Economic Forum, an elite gathering of business leaders in Davos, Switzerland.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From the New York Times, unlike a barrow, this is the Daily Mail.
0:09.5	Today, the Senate votes to adopt the rules that will govern the rest of the impeachment trial.
0:17.5	Julie Davis, on why they were not the rules that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had originally wanted.
0:26.5	It's Wednesday, January 22.
0:34.5	The Senate will come to order the Chaplain Dr. Blackwell, open the Senate with prayer.
0:40.5	So on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell opens the Senate for this first day of the official impeachment trial.
0:48.5	The Senate's process will draw sharp contrast with the unfair and precedent-breaking inquiry that was carried on by the House of Representatives.
0:58.5	He has spent weeks decrying the House impeachment inquiry as completely partisan and unfair.
1:04.5	Finally, some fairness.
1:07.5	On every point, our straightforward resolution will bring the clarity and fairness that everyone deserves.
1:14.5	And he's essentially saying this is our chance to show that we can do our duty as senators.
1:22.5	And today's vote will contain some answers.
1:25.5	Today, we're going to find out whether that's possible.
1:28.5	Democratic leader.
1:30.5	Now, before I begin.
1:32.5	And then Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, gets up to make his speech.
1:37.5	The McConnell rules seem to be designed by President Trump for President Trump.
1:42.5	And it's like they're on different planets. He essentially says,
1:47.5	Mitch McConnell is pushing for this process that's completely unfair.
1:51.5	There's nothing fair about this.
1:53.5	It's completely skewed toward President Trump and what he wants to see in this trial, which Schumer says is basically a cover-up.
1:59.5	If the President is so confident in his case, if leader McConnell is so confident the President did nothing wrong, why don't they want the case to be presented in broad daylight?
	...

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