"The leader has the votes to make it clear that the Clinton impeachment rules would be adopted by the Senate," Rounds said.

"He has 51 [votes] for sure to set the impeachment trial using the Clinton model," Graham said of McConnell. "I think most Republicans believe this is a political stunt."

Graham added that he did not hear opposition to McConnell's strategy during the closed-door caucus lunch, saying "most people feel pretty comfortable with the Clinton model."

The question of hearing from additional witnesses was voted on in 1999 during the middle of Clinton’s trial.

The resolution passed at the start of the 1999 Clinton impeachment trial set forth time for the House impeachment managers and the president’s defense team to present their opening arguments and for senators to submit questions in writing but made no specific requirement for additional witness testimony or document review.

The Senate at the time chose to depose three witnesses via videotape, including former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, whose testimony was later played on a monitor on the Senate floor.

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McConnell said on Tuesday the first phase of the Trump trial would be similar, with both House impeachment managers and Trump's team presenting their opening arguments and questions from senators.

"At that point during the Clinton trial, the issue of the appropriateness of calling witnesses was addressed; obviously that is the most contentious part of these proceedings. And that will be addressed at that time and not before the trial begins," McConnell said.

The GOP leader declined to explain just how “similar” the organizing resolution for Trump’s trial will be to the resolution passed at the start of former President Clinton’s trial.

“We’re going to have a similar resolution. It may not be word-for-word exactly the same,” McConnell said. “We’ll be glad to show it to you when we unveil it.”

The announcement is a blow to Democrats who wanted one resolution at the outset that would establish both the rules for impeachment and include a specific deal on witnesses.

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