华盛顿最高领导人在即将到来的弹劾审判条款上陷入僵局，参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔周一不排除证人作证的可能性。

“我们没有排除证人，”肯塔基州共和党人继续说道《福克斯和朋友们》。“我们已经说过，‘让我们像对待克林顿总统一样处理这个案子’公平就是公平。"

麦康奈尔重申，上议院仍然处于“僵局”，因为民主党人仍然怀疑多数党领袖是否会进行公平审判。

这种僵局对弹劾程序的下一步意味着什么？以下是未来几周的预期。

“每个人都喜欢假期”

预计弹劾的特殊状态将持续到圣诞节休会期间，直到立法者在新的一年回来。

据麦康奈尔发言人说，麦康奈尔和少数党领袖查克·舒默(纽约民主党)自周四会面后就没有说过话，他们未能就审判规则达成协议，目前也没有计划在不久的将来发表讲话。

参议院少数党领袖查尔斯·舒默(左)和参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔(右)肩并肩走向华盛顿特区美国国会大厦参议院会议厅

麦康奈尔将僵局归咎于舒默和众议院议长南希·佩洛西(民主党-加利福尼亚州)，暗示他们推迟众议院向参议院递交弹劾条款的策略是徒劳的，因为“我们都知道这将如何结束。”

在a信舒默周一发给了他所有的99名众议院同事，继续概述他的案件，为什么他们需要特定的文件和来自某些证人的证词，这些证人被白宫指示不遵守白宫的弹劾调查。

什么耽搁了？

众议院议长南希·佩洛西12月18日在华盛顿特区美国国会大厦众议院就弹劾唐纳德·特朗普总统的第二条进行投票时主持众议院

佩洛西利用她所拥有的最后一点影响力，拒绝任命她的弹劾经理，并转移滥用权力和阻挠国会的行为针对特朗普通过的弹劾条款参议院。这是一个举动民主党——温和派和自由派——都支持拖延参议院的审判。

在佩洛西将弹劾条款递交参议院之前，审判无法开始。

她说，一旦麦康奈尔能够在审判开始前概述证人规则，从而确保“公平审判”的进行，她将移交这些文章。

“她显然是想告诉我们如何进行这项试验，”麦康奈尔在接受福克斯采访时说。“我不急于进行这次审判。所以，如果她想保住文件，那就去吧。”

麦康奈尔说，在弹劾管理人员在审判期间向参议员出示证据之后，应该是确定哪些证人(如果有的话)将作证的适当时机，就像他说的为比尔·克林顿总统所做的那样。这位多数党领袖还拒绝了民主党人对他的嘲笑，即他不是一名公正的陪审员，因为他在未来的审判中与白宫律师办公室步调一致。

“你认为查克·舒默是公正的吗？你认为伊丽莎白·沃伦公正吗？伯尼·桑德斯是公正的吗？”麦康奈尔对福克斯说。“那么，让我们停止猜字谜。这是一项政治活动。”

“爆炸性”电子邮件更新了民主党对证人的要求

​参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默(纽约民主党)允许新闻摄影师有机会拍摄他12月18日在华盛顿特区的办公室观看众议院对唐纳德·特朗普总统弹劾条款的投票塞缪尔·科伦/盖蒂的照片

公共诚信中心周五发布的新邮件显示，在唐纳德·特朗普总统臭名昭著的7月25日与乌克兰总统通电话91分钟后，白宫一名高级预算官员下令冻结对乌克兰的外国军事援助。

舒默将这一披露贴上“爆炸性”标签，并强调官员迈克尔·杜菲需要就特朗普与乌克兰的交易作证。舒默还要求白宫代理参谋长米克·马尔瓦尼、前国家安全顾问约翰·博尔顿和高级马尔瓦尼顾问罗伯特·布莱尔提供证词和文件。

“我们不知道目击者会说什么。我们不知道这些文件会怎么读。舒默周日在纽约对记者表示:“他们可能会为特朗普总统开脱。”。"或者，他们可能会进一步指控他。"

证人证词将延长审判的持续时间，并且发生在弹劾经理和辩护律师发表各自的论点之后。

宪法和先例说了什么

宪法赋予参议院进行审判的“唯一权力”，正如历史文件赋予众议院弹劾的“唯一权力”。它没有提供任何一个议院应该如何进行其程序的细节，让立法者去寻找弹劾总统的最小先例。

例如，对克林顿的审判有三名证人进行闭门作证。

参议院可以“强迫证人出庭”，但没有这样的要求。决定权仍在议院，议院以简单多数做出决定。

需要发生什么

佩洛西递交弹劾条款后，上院可以全力推进可能持续几周的诉讼，无疑会导致共和党控制的机构宣布总统无罪。

如果麦康奈尔继续拒绝民主党要求四名潜在证人交出文件并作证的要求，舒默承诺将强制进行最低投票。此举将政治局势不稳定的几位共和党参议员因为他们将面临是否打破等级和投票反对麦康奈尔意愿的选择。

“我们只需要四名共和党人。舒默告诉记者:“我将要求对这些证人和文件进行投票。”新闻周刊和其他商店。“[弹劾案]的确在某些方面影响了人们...美国人民站在我们这边。”

流畅的时间线

随着国会休会到新年，审判最早可能在1月的第一周之后开始。

众议院将于1月7日返回。要传送这些文章，众议院需要通过一项决议，任命弹劾经理。一旦众议院这样做，参议院就可以开始审判。参议院的正式时间表将一月的整个月都留为空白，因为麦康奈尔说审判将每周进行六天，直到完成。

这意味着一月份的第三周就可以做出是否宣布特朗普无罪的决定。

WHAT'S NEXT FOR DONALD TRUMP'S IMPEACHMENT? STALEMATE PERSISTS OVER TRIAL WITNESSES

With Washington's top leaders in a standoff over the terms of a looming impeachment trial, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday did not rule out the possibility of having witnesses testify.

"We haven't ruled out witnesses," the Kentucky Republican said on Fox & Friends. "We've said, 'Let's handle this case just like we did with President Clinton.' Fair is fair."

McConnell reiterated the upper chamber remains at an "impasse" as Democrats remain skeptical the majority leader will conduct a fair trial.

What does that impasse mean for the next steps of the impeachment process? Here's what to expect in the coming weeks.

"Everybody enjoy the holidays"

Expect the extraordinary state of impeachment limbo to persist through Christmas recess until lawmakers return in the new year.

McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have not spoken since they met Thursday, where they were unsuccessful at striking a deal on rules for a trial, and do not currently have plans to speak in the near future, according to a McConnell spokesperson.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) (L) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) walk side-by-side to the Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol February 7, 2018 in Washington, D.C.

McConnell pitted the blame for the deadlock on Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), suggesting their maneuver to delay the delivery of the articles of impeachment from the House to the Senate is futile because "we all know how this is going to end."

In a letter sent Monday to all 99 of his chamber colleagues, Schumer continued to outline his case for why they need specific documents and testimony from certain witnesses who were directed by the White House not to comply with the House's impeachment inquiry.

What's the holdup?

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) presides over the House of Representatives as they vote on the second article of impeachment of President Donald Trump at in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol December 18 in Washington, D.C.

Using what last bit of leverage she has, Pelosi is refusing to name her impeachment managers and transfer the abuse of power and obstruction of Congress impeachment articles passed against Trump to the Senate. It's a move that Democrats—moderates and liberal alike—support and stalls a Senate trial.

Until Pelosi transmits the impeachment articles to the Senate, a trial cannot begin.

She has said she'll transfer the articles once McConnell can assure a "fair trial" will take place by outlining the rules for witnesses before it commences.

"She's apparently trying to tell us how to run this trial," McConnell said in his Fox interview. "I'm not anxious to have this trial. So, if she wants to hold onto the papers, go right ahead."

McConnell has said the appropriate time to determine which—if any—witnesses will testify should come after impeachment managers present their evidence to the senators during the trial, as he said was done for President Bill Clinton. The majority leader also rejected ridicule he's received from Democrats that he is not an impartial juror for working in lockstep with the White House counsel's office on a future trial.

"Do you think Chuck Schumer is impartial? Do you think Elizabeth Warren is impartial? Bernie Sanders is impartial?" McConnell said on Fox. "So, let's quit the charade. This is a political exercise."

"Explosive" emails renew Democrats' demands for witnesses

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) allows press photographers an opportunity to photograph him watching the House of Representatives vote on the two Articles of Impeachment of President Donald Trump in his office on December 18 in Washington, D.C.

New emails released Friday that were obtained by the Center for Public Integrity showed that the freeze on foreign military aid to Ukraine was ordered by a senior White House budget official 91 minutes after President Donald Trump's infamous July 25 phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart.

Schumer labeled the revelation as "explosive" and that it underscored the need for the official, Michael Duffey, to testify about Trump's dealings with Ukraine. Schumer has also demanded testimony and documents from acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, former national security adviser John Bolton and senior Mulvaney adviser Robert Blair.

"We don't know what the witnesses will say. We don't know how the documents will read. They might exonerate President Trump," Schumer told reporters Sunday in New York. "Or, they might further incriminate him."

Witness testimony would prolong the duration of a trial and occur after impeachment managers and the defense issue their respective arguments.

What the Constitution and precedent say

The constitution grants the Senate the "sole power" to conduct a trial, just as the historical document grants the House the "sole power" to impeach. It does not provide specifics about how either chamber should conduct its proceedings, leaving lawmakers to look to the minimal precedent that is available regarding the impeachment of a president.

Clinton's trial, for example, had three witnesses who gave closed-door depositions.

The Senate can "compel the attendance of witnesses," but there is no such requirement to do so. The decision remains with the chamber, which takes a simple majority.

What needs to happen

After Pelosi transmits the impeachment articles, the upper chamber can move full steam ahead with proceedings that will likely last a few weeks and undoubtedly result in the GOP-controlled body acquitting the president.

If McConnell continues to refuse Democrats' demand for the four potential witnesses to hand over documents and testify, Schumer has pledged to force a floor vote. The move would place several Republican senators in a politically precarious scenario as they'll be faced with the choice of whether to break rank and vote against the wishes of McConnell.

"All we need is four Republicans. I will ask for votes for each of these witnesses and these documents," Schumer told Newsweek and other outlets last week. "[Impeachment] does affect people in certain ways... The American people are on our side."

A fluid timeline

With Congress on recess until the new year, the earliest a trial could begin is after the first week of January.

The House returns January 7. For the articles to be transmitted, the chamber needs to pass a resolution naming the impeachment managers. As soon as the House does so, the Senate can begin its trial. The official Senate schedule leaves the entire month of January blank in presumption for a trial that McConnell has said would occur six days a week until completion.

That means a decision about whether to acquit Trump could come as soon as the third week in January.