12.18.19

McConnell: Potential Senate Trial Should Follow Unanimous Bipartisan Precedent from 1999

‘All eyes today are on the House of Representatives. The country is waiting to see whether these House Democrats will give in to the temptation that every other House in modern history has managed to resist, and misuse the solemn process of impeachment to blow off partisan steam…I hope House Democrats see reason and pull back from this precipice. But if they proceed, I hope the Democratic Leader and I can sit down soon and honor the template that was unanimously agreed to the last time.’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding impeachment:

‘All eyes today are on the House of Representatives.

‘The country is waiting to see whether these House Democrats will give in to the temptation that every other House in modern history has managed to resist, and misuse the solemn process of impeachment to blow off partisan steam.

‘I’ll have more to say on this subject if House Democrats do proceed.

‘But yesterday, I came to the floor to discuss one initial aspect of this that concerns our Senate process.

‘Over the weekend, my colleague the Democratic Leader began asking the Senate to break from precedent, break with the unanimous template from 1999, and begin choreographing the middle of a potential trial before we’ve even heard opening arguments.

‘In 1999, all 100 senators agreed on a simple pre-trial resolution that set up a briefing, opening arguments, senators’ questions, and a vote on a motion to dismiss. Senators reserved all other questions, such as witnesses, until the trial was underway.

‘That was the unanimous bipartisan precedent from 1999. Put first things first, lay the bipartisan groundwork, and leave mid-trial questions to the middle of the trial. 

‘I have hoped, and still hope, that the Democratic Leader and I can sit down and reproduce that unanimous bipartisan agreement this time. His decision to try to angrily negotiate through the press is unfortunate.

‘But no amount of bluster will change the simple fact that we already have a unanimous… bipartisan… precedent.

‘If 100 senators thought this approach was good enough for President Clinton, it ought to be good enough for President Trump.

‘I hope House Democrats see reason and pull back from this precipice. But if they proceed, I hope the Democratic Leader and I can sit down soon and honor the template that was unanimously agreed to the last time.

Related Issues: Senate Democrats