Earlier today Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell presented a “draft resolution” for Senate impeachment rules to be debated and voted tomorrow on Day One of the impeachment trial.  Day #1 will likely be filled as the Senate creates rules via resolution.
The draft resolution tracks closely with previous expectations: 24 hours of presentation by House Impeachment Managers; 24 hours of presentation by Defense team; 16 hours of Senate questioning; 4 hours of closing arguments; and then a Senate debate/vote on further motions to include witnesses.


As noted in the draft resolution it appears the Majority Leader will keep the Senate in 12 hour sessions to speed up the events.  This would conclude the House case and the defense case within four days (24 hrs, or two days per side).
According to the draft, the legal teams for each side will decide who makes the verbal arguments over their two days of presentation.  At the conclusion of the four days the Senators will ask questions for a total of 16 hours.
At the conclusion of the Senators questions the House Managers and White House defense will have two hours each to rebut and/or present additional (closing) arguments.
At the conclusion of the 4 hour final remarks the Senators will debate whether to call for witnesses.  The outcome to that debate will be decided by a majority of 51 votes.
If there are going to be witnesses, they will first be deposed prior to testimony.  No witness testimony will be permitted without first being deposed.
Again, this is a draft resolution.  There will be a debate and amendment process tomorrow to create the final resolution.  It will take 51 votes to create the rules.

 

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