The Senators at Trump’s Impeachment Trial Need Coffee, Not Milk
As Congress debates the president’s actions with Ukraine, lawmakers are caught dealing with the mundanities of this very unusual moment
Despite all the differences between Senate Democrats and Republicans over the impeachment of President Donald Trump, there appears to be at least one point of agreement about how the trial should be conducted: The lawmakers deserve their coffee.
According to arcane congressional rules, only water and milk—yes, milk—are allowed for consumption on the Senate floor. Senators aren’t allowed to leave the chamber while the trial is underway, and many don’t seem too eager for the drinks on offer.
“No, I’m not going to have milk,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) told GEN as he rode the elevator in the Capitol building to the Senate floor Tuesday, the day the trial opened.
The caffeine restriction has already led to a few awkward moments, most notably when Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair Jim Risch (R-Idaho) was spotted snoozing during Tuesday afternoon’s proceedings. Scott, for his part, said he would be reading “a book that has the briefs in it” in order to stay awake until the conclusion of the day’s arguments, which came at 2 a.m.
