Schumer Rips McConnell’s Plan To Fast-Track Impeachment Trial: ‘A National Disgrace’

on May 15, 2015 in New York City.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks at a press conference outside New York Penn Station on May 15, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blasted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) proposed Senate impeachment trial rules on Tuesday morning and Monday.

“After reading his resolution, it’s clear Senator McConnell is hell-bent on making it much more difficult to get witnesses and documents and intent on rushing the trial through,” Schumer said in a statement released on Monday. “On something as important as impeachment, Senator McConnell’s resolution is nothing short of a national disgrace.”

The Democratic leader emphasized his frustration on Tuesday morning, calling McConnell’s four-page resolution “a national disgrace.”

“If you don’t have a real trial that you can judge impeachment on the merits, then this democracy is eroded,” Schumer told CNN “New Day” anchor John Berman. “And Mitch McConnell will go down in history as one of the people eroding democracy because he has gone along with President Trump’s cover up hook, line and sinker.”

Under McConnell’s proposed rules, evidence gathered by the House will not be entered in the trial unless the Senate votes to allow it. Additionally, the House impeachment team and President Donald Trump’s lawyers will only have 24 hours each to make their arguments within 2 days.

Read McConnell’s resolution below:

Latest News
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: