The House impeachment inquiry begins its second week of public hearings with the Intelligence Committee scheduled to hear testimony from eight more witnesses over three days.
Last week, Democrats launched the public phase of the inquiry with testimony from three career public servants:
William Taylor
In what was at times dramatic testimony, the trio of diplomats recounted how private citizens, including the president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, impacted the Trump administration's posture toward Ukraine. Though none of the three was on the
July 25 phone call
On Friday, the committee heard closed-door testimony from David Holmes, a State Department aide who worked at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Holmes gave
firsthand testimony
Taylor revealed in his testimony that his aide overheard the call, but Holmes' account was the
first detailed description
Here's what to expect when questioning resumes on Tuesday.
Who is testifying?
Tuesday, first panel at 9 a.m. ET
-
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman
-
Jennifer Williams
Tuesday, second panel at 2:30 p.m. ET
-
Kurt Volker
-
Tim Morrison
Wednesday, first panel at 9 a.m. ET
- Gordon Sondland. Once a top donor to the president's inaugural committee, Sondland has faced intense scrutiny about his closed-door testimony after he
sent the committee a three-page amendment
Wednesday, second panel at 2:30 p.m. ET
-
Laura Cooper
- David Hale, the undersecretary of state for political affairs at the State Department. He testified behind closed doors on Nov. 6, and Republicans asked for him to appear in the public hearings.
Thursday, one panel only at 9 a.m. ET
-
Fiona Hill
Is this the last week of public hearings?
It's expected that the committee is wrapping up its public hearings and will begin the process of writing a report on the impeachment inquiry. Schiff sidestepped a question last week about whether Hill's testimony would be the last open session but said the panel was working to "move expeditiously" while also working to move "methodically."
What happens next, after the Intelligence Committee completes its work?
The Intelligence Committee is directed, under
the House resolution
What is the House Judiciary Committee's role?
The committee is tasked with evaluating the findings from the Intelligence Committee. It is likely to hold hearings of its own as it considers drafting articles of impeachment. The committee released its own procedures that would allow the president and his counsel to attend any hearings, ask questions of witnesses and respond to questions. The panel could then move to hold a hearing to consider articles of impeachment. If it approves any, they would then go to the full House of Representatives for a vote.
What articles of impeachment are being discussed?
Schiff has said he plans to reserve judgment until he confers with his colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus, but he
told NPR last week
If the House approves articles of impeachment, what will the Senate do?
Articles of impeachment are like an indictment. If the House passes a resolution with articles, it's the Senate's role to then hold a trial to decide whether to acquit the president or convict and remove him.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said that the Senate would move to the issue quickly but also that he had no idea how long a trial could last. He made it clear that he thinks both sides should be given ample time to present their cases. McConnell noted that the 1999 impeachment trial of Bill Clinton took two months, but he said that was "a totally different case, a totally different time."
McConnell and Senate Republicans continue to strongly defend the president and argue that the Democrats' focus on impeachment is a purely political ploy to undo the 2016 election. A two-thirds majority — 67 votes — is needed to convict in the Senate, so if all Democrats stuck together, they would need 20 Republicans to join them.
How can I watch this week's hearings?
The hearings will be livestreamed on NPR.org. You can also listen to special coverage
on many local public radio stations
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