Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has postponed a final vote on articles of impeachment against President Trump until Wednesday in the face of opposition from Senate GOP moderates to his plan to wrap up the trial Friday or Saturday without deliberations.
Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), emerging from a Senate GOP conference meeting, said senators now will return to the impeachment trial at 11 a.m. Monday to deliberate with a final vote on convicting or acquitting Trump set for Wednesday.
“There was some feverish discussion,” Braun said.
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a member of GOP leadership, said the trial will wrap by Wednesday
The trial ground to a halt Friday afternoon after an internal Republican spat erupted over how to end the proceeding. The pushback from moderate Republicans derailed McConnell’s plan to acquit Trump late Friday or early Saturday after a marathon round of votes on Democratic procedural objections.
Democrats said the delay was caused by internal GOP divisions.
“McConnell is trying to get his coalition together,” said a senior Senate GOP aide.
Moderate Republicans who pressed McConnell to guarantee a vote on subpoenaing witnesses and documents after phase one of the trial rose up to scotch his plans to acquit Trump without deliberations, according a GOP senator familiar with internal discussions.
A group of moderates, including Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), met with McConnell Friday afternoon to hash out strategy to end the trial.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/480975-senate-to-take-break-plans-final-impeachment-vote-wednesday