Republican senators emerged from a caucus meeting Tuesday voicing confidence they will win a vote later this week that would block new witnesses from being called and end 's impeachment trial this week.
While Republican sources acknowledged several senators are wrestling with the question of whether to bring in former national security adviser as a witness, they said Democrats do not have the four GOP votes they need to win such a vote.
ADVERTISEMENT."We've been 100 percent united in this process to this point and it would be my hope that we can remain that way," said Sen.He said Republicans will have at least the 50 votes they need to defeat the motion on witnesses.
One weapon McConnell and GOP leaders are using in their argument to try to persuade colleagues against voting for Bolton's testimony is Sen. They say agreeing to witnesses could give the minority leader carte blanche to force additional votes on subpoenaing more witnesses and documents, sources say.
Under the organizing resolution passed by all 53 GOP senators last week, the Senate is set to vote Friday on "Whether it shall be in order to consider and debate under the impeachment rules any motion to subpoena witnesses or documents."
If it gets 51 votes, the Senate will embark on an open-ended debate during which Schumer can force a litany of votes on witnesses and documents, as he did on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week when he kept the Senate voting past 2 a.m.Republican senators are worried that Schumer will painfully drag out the process if they vote to consider additional witnesses, and not just settle for hearing from Bolton, according to two GOP lawmakers familiar with internal conference discussions.
McConnell warned wavering Republicans at a lunch meeting earlier Tuesday that if they vote to bring in new witnesses it could extend the trial for weeks and would inevitably result in Trump's acquittal.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/480413-gop-confident-of-win-on-witnesses
While Republican sources acknowledged several senators are wrestling with the question of whether to bring in former national security adviser as a witness, they said Democrats do not have the four GOP votes they need to win such a vote.
ADVERTISEMENT."We've been 100 percent united in this process to this point and it would be my hope that we can remain that way," said Sen.He said Republicans will have at least the 50 votes they need to defeat the motion on witnesses.
One weapon McConnell and GOP leaders are using in their argument to try to persuade colleagues against voting for Bolton's testimony is Sen. They say agreeing to witnesses could give the minority leader carte blanche to force additional votes on subpoenaing more witnesses and documents, sources say.
Under the organizing resolution passed by all 53 GOP senators last week, the Senate is set to vote Friday on "Whether it shall be in order to consider and debate under the impeachment rules any motion to subpoena witnesses or documents."
If it gets 51 votes, the Senate will embark on an open-ended debate during which Schumer can force a litany of votes on witnesses and documents, as he did on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week when he kept the Senate voting past 2 a.m.Republican senators are worried that Schumer will painfully drag out the process if they vote to consider additional witnesses, and not just settle for hearing from Bolton, according to two GOP lawmakers familiar with internal conference discussions.
McConnell warned wavering Republicans at a lunch meeting earlier Tuesday that if they vote to bring in new witnesses it could extend the trial for weeks and would inevitably result in Trump's acquittal.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/480413-gop-confident-of-win-on-witnesses
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