Within the hallways of the U.S. Capitol, there is growing confidence by GOP Senators that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can whip his caucus to block a vote on witnesses Friday.
While returning to the chamber after a short break Thursday, Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) told Cheddar he's "feeling good" about tomorrow's expected vote.
Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told reporters during the break that Republicans have the "momentum" to move to end the trial tomorrow without witnesses. "If we're able to say no [to witnesses] and go right to final judgment, we'd move in that direction and stay here until that work is decided and completed Friday evening. That's where all the momentum is now."
Still up for debate is what, exactly, happens, if the Republicans vote to end the debate on witnesses quickly.
Meanwhile, back in the chamber, lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff said witness depositions could be limited to just one week and said that the trial should not be rushed just because the State of the Union is Tuesday.
After the break, Senators asked two bipartisan questions, both of which were from senators who may still be undecided on the issue of whether to allow witnesses. First, Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) asked the defense team if the president would assure them that private citizens would not be directed to conduct foreign policy unless formally designated by the president and the State Department.
Murkowski and Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) submitted the second bipartisan question, asking if any action a president takes is inherently political and where the line is between permissible political actions and impeachable political actions.
In President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial, there was only one bipartisan question asked, which Sen. Collins had signed onto at the time.
Michael Avenatti, who represents the adult film star, says the recent FBI raid of President Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen is a telling sign that charges will soon follow.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday about the massive data scandal at the social media giant. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) shares her reaction, and what she plans to ask Zuckerberg when he speaks to the House of Representatives Wednesday.
During both of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimonies on the Cambridge Analytica scandal, lawmakers hinted at the potential for basing regulation off European laws. But the First Amendment might make that difficult, says the New Yorker's Andrew Marantz.
The former House Speaker, who has long been a firm opponent of legalizing marijuana, said Wednesday he'd be joining the board of Acreage Holdings, a company that cultivates and dispenses the drug in 11 states. The President of Acreage told Cheddar that helping veterans was what convinced Boehner to flip.
The congressman, who represents Arizona's 7th District, says sending troops to do the border is expensive and doesn't improve security.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) says Ryan's decision not to seek re-election indicates that Republicans face a tough fight in the midterm elections. "He knows he's going to be a minority leader next year." Ryan made the surprise announcement Wednesday, saying he took the speaker position "reluctantly" in the first place.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg returns to Capitol Hill for a second day of questioning. Today, Zuckerberg testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Ahead of the hearing, we spoke to Congressman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) about what she wants to hear from the Facebook CEO. Dingell is concerned about the privacy of Americans who use the social networking site and speculates about what a regulated Facebook would look like.
In other Washington news, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced today that he will not seek re-election this November. Ryan held a press conference to elaborate on his decision. He said he thinks he's done his part and looks forward to spending more time with his family.
Also, Joanna Coles stops by to talk about her new book, "Love Rules." She says her book can help readers find real love in the age of Tinder and Bumble. Coales, who sits on the board of directors for Snap, discusses what it's like to be a woman on the board of a Silicon Valley tech giant.
The Congresswoman admitted that changes won't come in time for the midterm elections in November. But the question is no longer whether social media be regulated but what that regulation should look like, says Dingell. She says European laws serve as good models. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faces a House committee Wednesday for a second round of questioning on the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Congresswoman Diana DeGette, who is on the House committee that will question Mark Zuckerberg tomorrow, says perhaps harsher penalties will force companies to do more before breaches occur.
The shoe designer, who co-founded Jimmy Choo before becoming COO at her own eponymous brand, says talking to peers about what you're earning is the only way to find out if you're being undervalued.
