Reform as well as the current currention laws and the climate that immigration has played a part in our country know, america is a melting pot. So i feel like its something that surely has to be addressed you cant ignore whats currently going on as well as we cant hide the fact there are need to be addressed and need to be reformed when it comes to immigration. Recently nt trump recognized jerusalem as capital israel, transferred our embassy there. Wonder if any of the candidates would follow that procedure and continue to jerusalem as the capital of israel or if they it by reverse president ial decision to return our tal to recognition of the capital as tel aviv. And i am interested in about what our president ial candidates plan to hbcus across ur the nation. Historically of a black college from South CarolinaState University and ahbcu in loyee of Morris College here in sumter, i want to hear what the candidates will do to these our hbcus in financially challenging times. Voices from the road on cspan. Chuck te minority leader schumer held a News Conference earlier to discuss his proposal trumps resident impeachment trial should be conducted. This briefing is about 15 minutes. Martha mcsally in arizona and Susan Collins in maine. Senator schumer hello. Glad to be part of your live performance. [laughter] ok. Good afternoon, everyone. Main purpose today is to follow up on the letter i ent to leader mcconnell about the potential Senate Impeachment trial and rules for them. But lets not forget that there are many other things the Senate Working on right now. The month we recognized seventh anniversary of the sandy hook massacre. That seven years since unthinkable tragedy, america has incidents countless of gun violence, ranging from orrific Mass Shootings to the thousands of shootings that devastate communities every day. Debated e has not even background check legislation. Debated e hasnt legislation to reduce the cost of health care, college education, or prescription drugs. Republican leadership has even to work with democrats on Bipartisan Solutions to elections and deter oreign adversaries from interfering in our elections. All the productive activity in of congress is coming out the house. The Senate Remains a legislative so many different issues. Now on impeachment. S you know, the house is expected to vote on the articles of impeachment this week. The articles are adopted by the house, the senate a court of s impeachment. Conducting an impeachment trial the senate is enormously weighty and solemn responsibility. Its one of the most important fathershat the founding put to the senate. Senate democrats believe must be that the trial fair and its very important that the American People judge it to be fair. A fair trial is one where all the facts and one that allows them to the case impartially. Two weeks ago now, i told leader mcconnell i was ready to discuss trial rules. Talking to me, he spoke publicly about what a look like and said he was taking his cues from the white house. Very partisan, very slanted, very unfair. To get things back on track, i sent a letter to leader last night outlining a very reasonable structure that in a fair trial. This morning i sent the letter United States senator, democrat and republican. Of my colleagues will look at this proposed tructure and make up their own minds. The four witnesses we propose of why the knowledge aide to ukraine was why the aid to ukraine was delayed. Dont know what kind of evidence they will present. Exculpatory esent vidence that helps President Trump. It may be incriminating against president but they should be heard. Senior irtue of the administration positions they will have h of them information to share about the house. Made by the information that no one has heard at this point. Fact, in the case of mr. Bolton, his attorney stated additional t he has relevant information to share. Nformation that has not yet become public. How on such a weighty matter avoid hearing this, could we go forward without hearing it . Is why i sent the etter, in part, to leader mcconnell. We also propose that subpoenas directly nts that are related to the charges brought forward. Use come theres always a lot of attention on the question of but these documents are also of great importance when it comes to making sure to tors have what they need decision. Ly informed right now, i think the house has unmasked a great deal of evidence, much of it from the president s own that the president offenses. Impeachable but a good number of my republican colleagues have said believe the charges are serious, but there isnt enough them to make a decision. We believe these witnesses and provide the ld evidence theyre looking for letting ig dilatory or the trial dragon for too long too long. R i havent seen a single good argument about why these shouldnt testify or these documents be produced has s the president something to hide and his supporters want that information hidden. I outlined ructure in my letter to leader mcconnell will ensure that all the facts come out without dilatory action. Ou know, there is a grand american tradition of a speedy trial. Ir thats just what we proposed here. Republicans would be sympathetic to our proposal reason. The president and House Republicans have resisted evidence and e facts come out. He president hasnt offered a single exculpatory bit of whats in at refuses the house impeachment charges. Them. Ave not refuted our document could be summed up joe friday on dragnet. Just the facts, maam. Thats what were interested in. Ot diversions, not conspiracy theories that are irrelevant to the case. Maam. E facts, as i said, the president has ffered nothing exculpatory to disprove the evidence that has been put forward. A tead, hes orchestrated coverup. Its left many in the senate and millions across the country asking, what is the president hiding . Why doesnt he want the facts to out . In their investigation, the house compiled and presented evidence in nt of support of the articles of impeachment. I said, some of my republican colleagues are saying enough evidence. The trial structure i outlined mcconneller to leader will ensure all the facts come out. So in the coming weeks, enators, particularly republican senators, will have a choice. O they want a fair, honest trial that examines all the facts or do they want a trial facts come let the out . Is trials have witnesses. Thats what trials are all about. Documents. Prosecutors, the in this case, the house side. Eys, make their the president s lawyers make their side. We know that already. We heard that. Know the facts from those who are in a position to and from documents that them. Tely reflect so to engage a trial without the coming out is to engage in a coverup. The nduct a trial without facts is saying were afraid. To hide. Omething to conduct a trial without elevant witnesses who havent been heard from, to just rehash the vidence presented in house, just doesnt make any sense. Mcconnell doesnt hold a full and fair trial, the merican people will rightly ask, what are you, leader mcconnell, and what is President Trump hiding . Ready for questions. Reporter back until 1999 you didnt support new witnesses do you feel differently . These are my r words. We heard from these witnesses over and over again. Heard the same stories. The witnesses in 1999 had already been given had given grand jury testimony. We knew what they were to say. He four witnesses we called have not been heard from. And its e difference a difference thats totally overwhelming. Reporter you they say its not the senates job to get the witnesses, that was supposed to be done by the House Democrats and the House Democrats decided not to go to court and get the witnesses. Should the democrats have pursued the witnesss . Mr. Schumer im not going to secondguess the house. Theres virtually no good argument if youre interested in the facts in having these witnesses not come forward now. The standard at a trial is different than when a prosecutor, in this case the house, put together a case. A trial is a place for witnesses. Reporter do you have now or are you confident youll have support from 51 senators . Mr. Schumer i expect to have support from democrats and republicans. Because the argument is four w given. T you didnt call fot thats the difference in 1999. Its a total different. Would you accept a deposition on these witnesss . Mr. Schumer im not going to get into that. Ill negotiate with mcconnell. But live testimony is the best way to go. Reporter in 1999, the linchpin of the deal was that they did not want live testimony. They had a little videotaped testimony. They thought it would bring discredit on the senate. I spoke to senator lott a few days ago, he thought the integrity of the senate is at risk here if you have live witnesses on the floor. Twopart question. Why is that not the case in this instance, despite what you said about not hearing from these four. Mr. Schumer you cant say despite what i said, thats whole case. Reporter to point number two do you think therell be an agreement like in 1999. Schumer in 1999, it was a different case. There were a lot of reasons they didnt want someone like Monica Lewinsky testifying. It was related to what the questions might be about, that the whole country including children might be watching, it was different. Reporter if the House Democrats feel they have enough to impeach in the house why isnt that enough for the senate. Mr. Schumer there are some who may think its enough, we have to wait and not prejudge the case. There are many who said these are serious charges. Im not sure theres enough factual evidence to merit impeachment. These people know better than anybody else the facts, theres no reason on gods green earth why they shouldnt be called and testify unless youre afraid of what they might say. Reporter if you cant reach an agreement, will that mr. Schumer im hopeful. Leader mcconnell has said hes willing to sit down and talk and im willing and eager to do that. We want to come up with a fair trial where the facts come out without dilatory actions a and without making this into a circus of unrelated conspiracy theories of either the right or left. Last question, back there with the beard. Reporter on that last point, there are republicans, including the president of the United States, who have some ideas for witnesses, are you willing if leader mcconnell were to say well do some of your witnesses, you have to do some of ours, would you mr. Schumer i think the trial should be focused on the facts that the house presented not conspiracy theories that some established liar puts forward and then someone says lets hear if that Conspiracy Theory is correct which has no relevance to the facts here. We ought to stick to the facts. If there are other witnesses who might have witnessed what happened, who might have very strong evidence on the facts that the house presented, id certainly want to hear who they are. Thank you, everybody. Here on cspan, we take you live to the House Rules Committee in just a bit theyre going to be preparing the rules for debate for the 2020 spending measure, the measure funding the federal government with the deadline of friday at midnight. We will cover the rule committees meeting tomorrow, that will focus on the t