Senate impeachment trial: Republicans vote to table Schumer amendment seeking documents

(CNN)Senate Republicans defeated an amendment from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday to subpoena the White House for Ukraine documents on the opening day of the bitterly fought impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

The amendment was killed by Republicans on a party-line vote, 53-47. Schumer is proposing additional amendments — including to subpoena the State Department — which are also likely to be defeated by Republicans as the Senate debates a resolution to set the rules of the trial.

The debate over the trial rules played out after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell changed the resolution detailing the procedures shortly before the trial gaveled in Tuesday amid concerns from some key Senate Republicans and an uproar from Democrats.
The new resolution will give the House impeachment managers and the President's team three days each to make their 24 hours of trial arguments, instead of two as McConnell had initially proposed. There were also changes to the section of the resolution that would not have admitted the House's evidence without a vote — now, evidence will be admitted automatically unless there is a motion from the President's team to throw out evidence.