Schiff Makes Offer to Republicans: Limit Witness Depositions to One Week

House Impeachment Manager Adam Schiff (D-CA) made an offer to Republicans on Thursday: a limit of one week for witness depositions in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

The proposal is intended to appeal to Republicans who are skittish that if witnesses are allowed at the trial, it could drag on for weeks.

“I will make an offer to opposing counsel, who have said that this will stretch on indefinitely if you decide to have a single witness,” Schiff said. “Let’s cap the depositions to one week.”

“In the Clinton trial, there was one week of depositions, and you know what the Senate did during that week? They did the business of the Senate. The Senate went back to its ordinary legislative business while the depositions were being conducted. You want the Clinton model? Let’s use the Clinton model. Let’s take a week. Let’s take a week to have a fair trial. You can continue your business, we can get the business of the country done,” he continued. “Is that too much to ask in the name of fairness? That we follow the Clinton model? That we take one week? I mean, are we really driven by the timing of the State of the Union, should that be our guiding principle? Can’t we take one week to hear from these witnesses?

“I think we can. I think we should. I think we must.”

ABC News reported on Thursday that House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) indicated to senators that he has enough votes to block Democrat attempts to call witnesses at the trial.

If so, Trump could be acquitted by Friday — days before his State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Watch above, via MSNBC.

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