GOP Sen. Collins Says She Will “Likely” Vote To Call Witnesses In Impeachment Trial

A key Senate Republican said she’ll “likely” vote to call witnesses later in President Trump’s impeachment trial.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said in a statement Tuesday, “As I said last week, while I need to hear the case argued and the questions answered, I anticipate that I would conclude that having additional information would be helpful.

“It is likely that I would support a motion to subpoena witnesses at that point in the trial just as I did in 1999,” Collins said in the statement.

“The organizing resolution presented to the Senate today provides for a vote on whether to subpoena witnesses and documents at the conclusion of questions by Senators. This is the same point at which the Senate voted on witnesses and documents during the 1999 Clinton impeachment trial. In keeping with the model used in President Clinton’s trial, prior to hearing the case and the answers to Senators’ questions, I will vote to table any attempts by either side to subpoena documents or witnesses before that stage in the trial.”

“After hearing the case and asking questions, Senators will be able to make an informed judgement about what is in dispute, what is important, and what remains relevant to the underlying issues. That is one of the reasons why all 100 Senators agreed to this sequence during the Clinton trial.”

My statement on the start of the impeachment trial: https://t.co/oRp9jZ3CbR pic.twitter.com/QxDiCTzxub

— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) January 21, 2020

Collins told the Washington Examiner she is working with a small group of Republicans on a plan to call witnesses, but it’s unclear whether four GOP lawmakers would back the move.

That’s the number needed to provide Democrats with the 51 votes necessary to summon a witness.