Rounds Votes in Favor of Fair, Impartial Impeachment Trial
WASHINGTON – Early this morning, U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) voted in favor of the organizing resolution that will guide the first phase of the impeachment trial in the Senate. The resolution, which passed 53-47, follows the fair and impartial guidelines used during President Clinton’s impeachment trial in 1999.
“I voted in favor of the organizing resolution outlining the next steps in the Senate impeachment trial, which closely follows past precedents and allows for a fair, impartial process.”
“The impeachment trial of a U.S. president – effectively determining whether to undo the will of the American electorate – is one of the most serious responsibilities of the United States Senate. Knowing the House of Representatives would be ‘impassioned’ and more likely to succumb to the whims of political theater, our Founding Fathers intended the Senate to be the ‘adults in the room.’ They trusted the Senate, requiring more solemn judgement, to have the final say on whether a House impeachment charge has the substantiality to rise to the level of removal from office.”
“Today, the House managers will begin their opening arguments. Then, the American people will have a chance to hear, for the first time throughout this process, the president’s side of the case. I take my responsibility during this period very seriously. I’m confident that the organizing resolution will allow us to do our due diligence, bring this process to a close in a timely manner, and get back to doing the work that the people of South Dakota sent me here to do.”
Background:
- The resolution is broken down into three parts:
- Opening arguments: Each side will be given up to 24 hours to present their case;
- Q&A period: Senators will have the opportunity to ask questions, through the Chief Justice (up to 16 hours allotted);
- Deciding on Next Steps: Following the Q&A period, the Senate will “consider whether...any additional evidence or witnesses are necessary to evaluate whether the House case has cleared, or failed to clear, the high bar for overcoming the presumption of innocence and undoing a democratic election.” [Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Floor, 1/21/2020]
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