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Schumer, the Democratic leader,, took to the Senate floor moments after McConnell, defended House Democrats' inquiry and criticized the Republican Senate leader.

\"I hope America was watching the Republican leader deliver his speech. I truly do. Because most glaring of all, was the fact that Leader McConnell’s thirty-minute partisan stem-winder contained hardly a single defense of the president on the merits,\" Schumer said.

\"PHOTO:
ABC News
PHOTO: Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks on the floor of the Senate, Dec. 19, 2019, the day after the house voted to impeach President Donald Trump.
>

\"To my Republican colleagues: our message is a simple one. Democrats want a fair trial that examines the relevant facts. We want a fair trial. The message from Leader McConnell, at the moment, is that he has no intention of conducting a fair trial, no intention of acting impartially, no intention of getting the facts,\" Schumer said.

\"Is the president’s case so weak that none of the president’s men can defend him under oath?\" Schumer said. \"If the House’s case is so weak, why is Leader McConnell so afraid of witnesses and documents? We believe the House’s case is strong … but if the Republican leader believes it’s so weak, why is he so afraid of relevant witnesses and documents?\"

\"Leader McConnell claimed that the impeachment of President Trump is illegitimate because the House voted along party lines. Forgive me: but House Democrats cannot be held responsible for the cravenness of the House Republican caucus and their blind fealty to the president,\" Schumer said.

\"Leader McConnell claimed the impeachment was motivated by partisan rage. This from the man who said, “I am not impartial. I have no intention to be impartial at all” in the trial of President Trump. What hypocrisy,\" Schumer said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer: \"Leader McConnell accused the House Democrats of an obsession to get rid of Pres. Trump—this from the man who proudly declared his number one goal was to make Pres. Obama a one-term president.\" https://t.co/jBRj22K4Nv pic.twitter.com/BHsJT5QXXC

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) December 19, 2019

McConnell, in his remarks, also defended Trump's decision to withhold \"extraordinary amounts of sensitive information\" from House Democrats as part of their impeachment inquiry.

\"Predictably, and appropriately, President Trump did not simply roll over. He defended the constitutional authority of his office,\" McConnell said.

McConnell declared that the Senate's duty \"is clear\" and vowed that his chamber will fulfill its duty by acquitting Trump should the Senate head into an expected trial in January.

\"The Senate must put this right,\" McConnell said. \"We must rise to this occasion.\"

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