House Democrats are expected to give their opening arguments Wednesday in the U.S. Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
The impeachment trial is expected to resume at 1 p.m. ET. Watch live below, courtesy of PBS NewsHour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1auW9m_Oxbs
The trial is in full swing this week after the Senate debated on Tuesday the resolution that will govern the trial’s procedures. After some last-minute changes, the rules for Trump's trial largely follow the ones used during the trial of President Bill Clinton.
The original version of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s rules said the House couldn’t submit its evidence until the question of witnesses was resolved.
But after moderates like Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voiced concerns, McConnell changed the resolution to ensure the evidence will be admitted after opening arguments. In Clinton’s proceedings, the evidence was automatically admitted at the start of the trial.
Now the House managers–seven Democrats who will serve as the “prosecutors” in the impeachment trial–will have 24 hours broken up over three days to present their case. The White House will then have the same amount of time to present its defense.
All 100 U.S. senators are considering two articles of impeachment–abuse of power and obstruction of Congress–against Trump. The House approved the articles along party lines in December and impeached the president.
