Senate Republicans on Tuesday rejected an opening effort by Democrats to compel the Trump administration to hand over documents related to the delayed Ukraine aid.

Democrats offered four amendments over roughly nine hours to the rules resolution that would have required the administration to turn over documents. All four were tabled, effectively blocking the requests, in 53-47 votes.

"The documents are of equal importance. People should understand that the documents can shed as much light on why the aid was cut off, who did it and how it evolved as the witnesses," Schumer said. "We feel very strongly that we need documents, and that's why it's our first call," Schumer said. "We feel very strongly that we need documents, and that's why it's our first call."

The third amendment, meanwhile, required the administration to hand over communications from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), including communications involving Michael Duffey, the associate director of national security at OMB. Duffey, in emails reported by Just Security earlier this month, told the acting Pentagon comptroller, "Clear direction from POTUS to hold" the Ukraine aid.