Plan B Forum

Bolton knows perfectly well that Mitch McConnell would rather fly coach, in the middle seat, between the heads of the NAACP and the Council on American Islamic Relations, than have him testify in the Senate.

Collins says she's working with other GOP senators to allow impeachment witnesses

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Friday said that she is working with a group of Republican senators to allow for both President Trump's legal team and the House managers to be able to call witnesses during the impeachment trial.

Collins told the Bangor Daily News that she is working with a "fairly small" group of senators to ensure that an initial resolution on the trial rules allows for witnesses.

“I am hopeful that we can reach an agreement on how to proceed with the trial that will allow the opportunity for both the House and the president’s counsel if they choose to do so,” she said.

Collins declined to say how many Republicans she is working with, but argued that her colleagues should be "completely open to calling witnesses.”

Collins is viewed as a key swing vote in the impeachment trial. Democrats need four Republicans to vote with them to compel the administration to hand over Ukraine-related documents and to call witnesses, including former national security adviser John Bolton and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced on Friday that the House would send over the articles of impeachment next week, paving the way for the Senate to start its trial.