Last night after the question and answer phase of the impeachment trial concluded, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) announced that he will vote against new witness testimony.
His decision ends weeks of speculation over whether or not Senate Majority Leader McConnell would have the votes to wrap up the Senate trial quickly.
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Alexander, a close personal friend of Senate Majority Leader McConnell, was one of four Republican Senators who were undecided on witnesses. As it currently stands, Senators Romney (R-UT) and Collins (R-ME) are the only two Republicans currently planning to vote in favor of new witness testimony.
Senator Murkowski (R-AK) is undecided.
If Murkowski were to vote in favor of witnesses, the vote would result in a 50-50 tie. Technically, Chief Justice Roberts could cast a deciding vote but it is unlikely that he would do so; therefore, the vote for witnesses would fail and a final acquittal vote could come as early as a few hours later.
I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the U.S. Constitution’s high bar for an impeachable offense.1/15
— Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) January 31, 2020
