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A motion to allow subpoenas for witnesses and documents in the Senate trial of U.S. President Donald Trump's impeachment failed to pass the upper chamber on Friday, suggesting a quick end to the proceeding.
The Republican-controlled Senate voted 49 to 51 to block the motion.
Two Republicans joined Democrats in requesting witnesses for the impeachment trial, but the Democrats still fell short of a simple majority needed to pass the motion.
The vote came after the House impeachment managers and Trump's defense team debated for hours on Friday over whether the Senate should call witnesses.
It also followed more than a week of arguments from both sides and a question-and-answer session involving all senators who act as the jury.
It remains unclear when the Senate will vote on the articles of impeachment against Trump but it is widely expected that the president will be acquitted.
In a statement after the vote, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said senators will now confer among themselves, with the House managers, and with the president's counsel to "determine next steps" as they "prepare to conclude the trial in coming days."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters on Friday that Democrats "do not want this rushed through," adding that they "do not want it in the dark of night."
The Democrat-led House impeached Trump last month for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, charges the White House has refuted.
A whistleblower raised concern in an anonymous complaint last summer about the White House's interactions with Ukraine, triggering a Democrat-led impeachment inquiry against Trump.
The U.S. president was alleged to have pressed his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, into launching investigations that could politically benefit him. Furthermore, the White House allegedly tried to cover it up.
According to the U.S. Constitution, the House shall have the "sole Power of Impeachment," while the Senate shall have the "sole Power to try all Impeachments."
Conviction can only happen in the Senate and requires at least two-thirds of its members, or 67 senators, to vote in favor of at least one article of impeachment after a trial. Currently, the Senate has 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two independents.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
