Senate Republicans remained united throughout 12 hours of debate approving rules for Donald Trump's sham impeachment trial on Tuesday, rejecting again and again calls from Democrats to allow witnesses and subpoena evidence.
Reuters reports: “Senators voted along party lines, 53-47, to block four separate motions from Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to subpoena records and documents from the White House, the State Department, the Defense Department and the Office of Management and Budget related to Trump's dealings with Ukraine. By the same tally, senators also rejected requests for subpoenas seeking the testimony of acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, former national security adviser John Bolton, White House aide Robert Blair and White House budget official Michael Duffey.”
The trial begins at 1 pm on Wednesday, even as new evidence continues to pour in.
CNN reports: “Officials at the White House's Office of Management and Budget were laying the groundwork to freeze military aid to Ukraine the night before President Donald Trump's controversial phone call with the Ukrainian President, newly released, heavily redacted emails show. On the evening of July 24, the night before the call, OMB officials shared a ‘Ukraine Prep Memo'” with Michael Duffey — the office's associate director of national security programs, a political appointee and the budget official who would play a direct role in carrying out Trump's funding freeze.”
