持续了近一个月的僵局，即是否应该有更多的证人在参议院弹劾审判中作证，迫使几乎每一位立法者、政治权威和舆论作家都表达了自己的信念。
对于前总统比尔·克林顿受审期间任职至今的十几名参议员来说，他们中的几个人在谈到眼前的问题时发表了自相矛盾的言论。
他们立场的转变再次提醒了两党的立法者，当前的政治气候和弹劾程序与上次不同。
民主党人认为，为了“公平审判”，他们必须听取证人的证词，特别是四名现任或前任政府官员，包括代理白宫办公厅主任米克·马尔瓦尼和前国家安全顾问约翰·博尔顿。民主党人注意到有三名证人在克林顿的审判中作证，他们都已经被废黜。
共和党人说，他们只会在众议院弹劾经理和白宫提出论据后考虑证人。他们认为对克林顿也实施了同样的程序，这是公平的。
财政委员会主席查克·格拉斯利参议员(爱荷华州)
2019年10月24日，华盛顿特区，查克·格拉斯利主席(爱荷华州共和党人)在国会参议院财政委员会听证会上听取证词
声明1999年1月26日:罢免证人的投票“是关于使用严格的法律程序来获得必要的信息，以帮助澄清记录中的重要差异。不会仅仅为了传唤证人而传唤证人。寻求这些信息对于明智的过程非常重要。”
“美国参议院的工作是以同样公平的方式迅速找到真相。
2019年12月19日福克斯商业访谈:“我认为我们不需要证人，但现在我们应该打开它，听取众议院的起诉，我们应该听取总统的辩护，到那时，你会看到证人。”
格拉斯利的办公室强调新闻周刊他支持克林顿审判规则，该规则允许在双方陈述案情后就证人进行辩论。报告还指出，格拉斯利1999年的言论是在克林顿弹劾案开审后发表的，立法者有机会提出问题。
詹姆斯·殷霍夫参议员(俄克拉荷马州)，武装部队委员会主席
2019年12月2日，参议员詹姆斯·殷霍夫(俄克拉荷马州)抵达华盛顿特区美国国会大厦进行投票时，对媒体成员发表了讲话
对...的陈述华盛顿邮报，1999年1月1日出版:“许多参议员希望有不知道所有证据和证人要说什么的借口。这是在逃避我们的宪法义务，是一种粉饰。”
采访周二，保守派电台主持人休·休伊特:“我认为我们不需要约翰·博尔顿。约翰·博尔顿是我最亲密的私人朋友之一。整件事都令人厌恶，但尽管如此，我认为我们不需要证人。”
帕特里克·莱希参议员。)，拨款委员会高级成员
帕特里克·莱希参议员。)2019年2月7日在华盛顿特区国会山哈特参议院办公楼的参议院司法委员会会议上发表讲话
闭门弹劾声明于1999年2月12日载入国会记录:“证人不会填补经理一案中的漏洞。经理们只有在面临参议院定罪的困难时，才会对听取证人的证词感兴趣。当此事仍在众议院讨论时，他们有机会采访证人。"
对...的陈述新闻周刊周二:“今天和克林顿总统的审判之间的差异再明显不过了。与克林顿总统不同的是，特朗普总统指示所有证人不要配合众议院的调查，并提供有关他行为的相关信息...因此，参议院没有约翰·博尔顿、米克·马尔瓦尼、罗伯特·布莱尔和迈克尔·杜菲等重要证人的任何证词或文件。没有一份文件。没有一分钟宣誓作证。如果这些证人配合了众议院的调查，我们就不会处于这种境地。”
司法委员会主席林赛·格雷厄姆参议员
2019年12月18日，华盛顿特区，参议员林赛·格雷厄姆在国会大厦办公室外对记者发表讲话，对特朗普总统弹劾条款的辩论仍在继续
C-SPAN视频从1999年1月10日起:“我们试图说明的要点是，在参议院有过的每一次关于弹劾的审判中，证人都被传唤...当你有一个见证人在那里，参与其中，他在中间告诉你他们在做什么，为什么，这就是得到真相，全部真相和除了真相什么都没有的区别。”
2019年12月18日新闻发布会:“我不会支持总统传唤证人。我不会支持参议员舒默传唤证人。”
参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔。)
参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔参议员。1月8日，在华盛顿特区参加了与国会议员举行的关于伊朗紧张局势升级的闭门简报会后，奥巴马离开了白宫
1999年1月28日拉里·金访谈:“该国历史上已有15起弹劾案(包括法官)。其中两人因辞职而被解雇。在其他13起弹劾案中，有证人...审判中有证人并不罕见。在弹劾审判中有证人当然并不罕见...众议院经理只要求三名证人。我认为这很谦虚。”
周二新闻发布会:“我们将在审判的适当时候处理证人问题。我无法想象只有我们的民主党同事想要传唤的证人才会被传唤。”
参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默
参议院少数党领袖查尔斯·舒默(纽约民主党)1月14日在华盛顿特区美国国会大厦每周一次的参议院民主党政策午餐会后向记者发表讲话
1999年1月31日哥伦比亚广播公司新闻访谈:“我的观点是，我们一遍又一遍地听到大多数证人的证词。我们听过同样的故事...我想知道众议院的管理人员是否对政治戏剧比对事实真相更感兴趣。”
周二新闻发布会:“如果你想要真相，你必须有证人，你必须有文件。谁听说过没有证人和文件的审判？”
HOW SOME SENATORS' POSITIONS ON IMPEACHMENT TRIAL WITNESSES CHANGED FROM CLINTON TO TRUMP
The logjam that's persisted for nearly a month over whether additional witnesses should testify in a Senate impeachment trial has forced nearly every lawmaker, political pundit and opinion writer to voice their beliefs.
And for the more than dozen senators who served during former President Bill Clinton's trial and remain in office today, several of them have made contradicting remarks when it comes to the question at hand.
Their shift in position is yet another reminder how lawmakers in both political parties argue that the current political climate and impeachment proceeding is different from the last.
Democrats contend that in order for a "fair trial," they must hear from witnesses, specifically four current or former administration officials, including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security adviser John Bolton. Democrats have noted there were three witnesses who testified in Clinton's trial, all of whom had already been deposed.
Republicans say they will only consider witnesses after arguments are presented by House impeachment managers and the White House. They reason that the same process was carried out for Clinton and is fair.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Finance Committee chairman
Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) listens to testimony during a Senate Finance Committee committee hearing on Capitol Hill, October 24, 2019, in Washington, D.C.
Statement on January 26, 1999: The vote to depose witnesses "was about using a tightly disciplined legal process to get the information needed to help clear up important discrepancies on the record. Witnesses will not be called simply for the sake of calling witnesses. Seeking this information is important to a process that is judicious."
"The job of the United States Senate is to find the truth in an expeditious way that is also fair.
Interview with Fox Business on December 19, 2019: "I don't think we need witnesses, but right now we ought to open it and hear the prosecution from the House of Representatives, we ought to hear the president's defense, and at that point, you would see about witnesses."
Grassley's office highlighted to Newsweek his support for the Clinton trial rules that would allow for debate over witnesses after both sides have presented their cases. It also noted that Grassley's remarks from 1999 were made following the opening arguments in the Clinton impeachment trial and lawmakers had the chance to submit questions.
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Armed Services Committee chairman
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) speaks to members of the media as he arrives for a vote December 2, 2019 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Statement to The Washington Post, published January 1, 1999: "A lot of senators would love to have the cover of not knowing all the evidence and what the witnesses have to say. It's shirking our constitutional duty and it's a whitewash."
Interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Tuesday: "I don't think we need to have John Bolton. John Bolton is one of my closest personal friends. The whole thing is pretty distasteful what happened, but nonetheless, I don't think we need that, the witnesses."
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), ranking member of the Appropriations Committee
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) speaks during a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Hart Senate Office Building February 7, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Closed-door impeachment statement entered into the Congressional Record on February 12, 1999: "Witnesses would not fill the holes in the Managers' case. The Managers only became interested in hearing from witnesses once they faced trouble obtaining a conviction in the Senate. They had an opportunity to interview witnesses when this matter was still before the House."
Statement to Newsweek on Tuesday: "The differences between today and President Clinton's trial could not be more stark. Unlike President Clinton, President Trump directed all witnesses with relevant information about his conduct not to cooperate with the House inquiry... As a result, the Senate does not have any prior testimony or documents from important witnesses such as John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney, Robert Blair, and Michael Duffey. Not a single document. Not a single minute of testimony under oath. If these witnesses had cooperated with the House's inquiry, we would not be in this position."
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Judiciary Committee chairman
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) speaks to reporters outside of his office at the U.S. Capitol as debate on the articles of impeachment against President Trump continues on December 18, 2019 in Washington, D.C.
C-SPAN video from January 10, 1999: "The whole point that we're trying to make is that in every trial that there's ever been in the Senate, regarding impeachment, witnesses were called... When you have a witness who was there, was engaged in it, who was in the middle of it tell you about what they were doing and why, it's the difference between getting the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
Press conference on December 18, 2019: "I am not going to support witnesses being called for by the president. I'm not going to support witnesses being called for by Senator Schumer."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
Senate Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) leaves after attending closed briefings with lawmakers regarding escalating tensions with Iran on January 8 in Washington, D.C.
Interview with Larry King on January 28, 1999: "There have been 15 impeachments (including judges) in the history of the country. Two of them were cut short by resignations. In the other 13 impeachments there were witnesses... It's not unusual to have a witness in a trial. It's certainly not unusual to have witness in an impeachment trial... The House managers have only asked for three witnesses. I think that's pretty modest."
Press conference on Tuesday: "We will be dealing with the witness issue at the appropriate time into the trial. I can't imagine that only the witnesses that our Democratic colleagues would want to call would be called."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) talks to reporters following the weekly Senate Democratic policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol January 14 in Washington, D.C.
Interview with CBS News on January 31, 1999: "My view is that we have heard from most of these witnesses over and over again. We've heard the same story... I wonder if the House managers aren't a little more interested in political theater than in actually getting to the bottom of the facts."
Press conference on Tuesday: "If you want the truth, you have to have witnesses, you have to have documents. Who has ever heard of a trial without witnesses and documents?"
