U.S. Senate back in session for closing arguments of Trump impeachment trial

The U.S. Senate went back in session Monday morning for closing arguments of the ongoing impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

House impeachment managers and Trump’s defense team will have up to four hours, equally divided for them, to make their own case.

Congressman Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado, speaking on behalf of the House managers, called impeachment an “extraordinary remedy” and “a tool only to be used in rare instances of grave conduct.”

After the closing arguments end, the Senate is expected to reconvene in legislative session, in which senators are allowed to speak on the impeachment case.

Senators will vote on articles of impeachment against Trump on Wednesday, according to a resolution it adopted last week.

Monday’s session came days after the Senate, where Republicans have a narrow majority over Democrats, voted to reject the effort in seeking witnesses and documents for the impeachment proceeding, paving the way for a quick end.

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The House, controlled by Democrats, impeached Trump in November last year for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, charges that the White House has refuted.

A whistleblower raised concern in an anonymous complaint last summer about the White House’s interactions with Ukraine, triggering a Democrat-led impeachment inquiry against Trump.

The U.S. president was alleged to have pressed his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, into launching investigations that could politically benefit him. Furthermore, the White House allegedly tried to cover it up.

Source: Xinhua – WASHINGTON