Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) arrives for the first day of the Senate impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2020.
Joshua Roberts | Reuters
WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats won two key changes to the rules of President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial as proceedings kicked off Tuesday afternoon.
The changes will permit each sides’ opening arguments to span three days, instead of two, and will also admit materials into evidence from the House investigation into Trump last fall.
The surprise last-minute changes were revealed Tuesday afternoon during a formal reading on the Senate floor of the resolution governing the rules of the trial. A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer later confirmed the changes to CNBC.
“After massive pressure from Senate Democrats and the public, Senator McConnell has made two changes to his organizing resolution for the Senate impeachment trial,” Schumer aide Justin Goodman said in an email.
“1. The House record will now automatically be admitted into evidence (under McConnell’s’ original resolution, the Senate would have to vote to add it in) 2. Each side now has three days to make their opening statements (McConnell’s original resolution said it had to be done over two days),” Goodman wrote.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
