Sasse, Fischer again offer differing votes on impeachment constitutionality

Six Republican senators voted with the chamber's 50 Democratic senators to affirm the constitutionality of the latest impeachment on Tuesday.

The vote was nearly identical to last month's vote on the same issue. At that time, five Republican senators, including Nebraska's Ben Sasse, broke from the GOP to move forward with the impeachment. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) was the only person who voted differently than last month, siding with Democrats this time after voting with his party previously.

While Sasse voted to affirm the constitutionality of the impeachment and move forward with the trial, fellow Nebraskan and Republican Deb Fischer did not.

The vote followed an argument from Donald Trump's legal team that the proceedings are unconstitutional.

Most Republicans stood with Trump and his attorneys, indicating an unlikelihood that the trial will produce a conviction. A two-thirds majority, 67 senators, is needed for conviction.

 

The House impeachment managers, in pressing for the trial to proceed, said Trump had a role in inciting the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and should be held accountable. Opening arguments in the trial are set to begin Wednesday.