Democrats are livid about the proposed trial rules.
The impeachment trial for President Trump will reconvene Tuesday afternoon with a raucous debate over proposed ground rules for the proceedings unveiled Monday night by Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader.
Mr. McConnell’s proposal includes the following provisions: (1) House prosecutors and Mr. Trump’s defense team each get 24 hours over two days to argue their cases; (2) evidence collected by the House could be admitted into the record only by a majority vote; and (3) Republicans have the option to make a motion to dismiss the trial before arguments from either side are heard.
Democrats quickly attacked Mr. McConnell’s proposed rules as little more than what they called a “cover up” that would shorten the trial and allow the president’s allies to refuse to admit evidence collected by the House about Mr. Trump’s actions. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, promised to offer a “series of amendments” to alter them.
If it is adopted, Mr. McConnell’s resolution will also provide 16 hours for senators to ask questions after they hear presentations by the House prosecutors and the White House defense team. That would be followed by four hours of debate on whether to seek additional witnesses or other evidence. If no witnesses are called, the Senate would move quickly to deliberation and a final vote on the articles of impeachment.