The President Trump impeachment trial was the only subject of roll call votes this week. Note that the vote descriptions quote House trial managers and White House lawyers rather than senators.
There were no key votes in the House this week.
SENATE VOTES
TRUMP IMPEACHMENT SUBPOENA: The Senate has approved a motion to table an amendment (S. Amendment 1284), sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that would have issued a subpoena for White House material related to the impeachment trial of President Trump. An amendment supporter, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said: “The most important documents are going to be at the White House. The documents Senator Schumer’s amendment targets would provide more clarity and context about President Trump’s scheme.” An opponent, White House lawyer Patrick Philbin, said it was invalid for House managers to press for a subpoena to obtain more evidence after the impeachment trial had begun. The vote to table, on Jan. 21, was 53 yeas to 47 nays.
YEAS: Susan Collins, R-Maine
NAYS: Angus King, I-Maine
SECOND TRUMP IMPEACHMENT SUBPOENA: The Senate has approved a motion to table an amendment (S. Amendment 1285), sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that would have issued a subpoena for State Department material related to the impeachment trial of President Trump. An amendment supporter, Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., said the material “would help complete our understanding of how the president’s scheme unfolded in real time.” An opponent, White House lawyer Jay Sekulow, said the subpoena would impinge on the Constitution’s granting of executive privilege to preserve the confidentiality of communications within the executive branch. The vote to table, on Jan. 21, was 53 yeas to 47 nays.
YEAS: Collins
NAYS: King
RULES FOR IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: The Senate has approved a motion to table an amendment (S. Amendment 1290), sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that would have established rules for admittance of evidence and the appropriate handling of classified and confidential materials involved in the Trump impeachment trial. An amendment supporter, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said the amendment was needed to ensure that material submitted following a subpoena would be provided to both sides of the impeachment trial, in accord with the rule of completeness governing trials. An opponent, White House lawyer Patrick Philbin, said the amendment was in error because House subpoenas issued in regards to impeachment were legally infirm because they were not duly authorized by the House. The vote to table, on Jan. 21, was 53 yeas to 47 nays.
YEAS: Collins
NAYS: King
IMPEACHMENT SUBPOENAS: The Senate has approved a motion to table an amendment (S. Amendment 1292), sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that would have provided that motions to subpoena witnesses and documents in the Trump impeachment trial shall be deemed in order. An amendment supporter, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said it was needed to ensure that senators will have the chance to vote on whether to hear from specific witnesses during the trial. An opponent, White House lawyer Michael Purpura, said it was appropriate to follow the subpoena procedural precedent set by the President Clinton impeachment trial. The vote to table, on Jan. 21, was 53 yeas to 47 nays.
YEAS: Collins
NAYS: King
RULING ON SUBPOENA MOTIONS: The Senate has approved a motion to table an amendment (S. Amendment 1294), sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that would have required Chief Justice John Roberts to rule on motions to subpoena witnesses and documents in the Trump impeachment trial. An amendment supporter, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said it was appropriate to use Roberts, as a neutral, experienced arbiter, to decide whether a given proposed witness was relevant to the trial. An opponent, White House lawyer Jay Sekulow, said the Constitution stipulated that the Senate has the sole power to try all impeachments, leaving no judging role for the chief justice. The vote to table, on Jan. 21, was 53 yeas to 47 nays.
YEAS: Collins
NAYS: King
PROCEDURES FOR IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: The Senate has passed a resolution (S. Res. 483), sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to establish procedures for the President Trump impeachment trial, including the stipulation that the House and the president will have 24 hours each, over a total of six days, to present their cases to the Senate. A supporter, White House lawyer Pat Cipollone, said the resolution would follow the fair procedural example set by the President Clinton impeachment trial. An opponent, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said it would overturn normal trial processes by requiring the House to “prove its case without witnesses, without documents, and only after it is done will such questions be entertained, with no guarantee that any witnesses or any documents will be allowed even then.” The vote, on Jan. 21, was 53 yeas to 47 nays.
YEAS: Collins
NAYS: King
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