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During a media call Thursday morning with members of the Alabama Press, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-AL, continued to stress the importance of access to witnesses and documents in order to conduct a fair impeachment trial against U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump is currently on trial in the U.S. Senate after being impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives on two counts – one for using his office for personal gain by allegedly pressuring Ukraine to open an investigation into political rival former Vice President Joe Biden and another for obstructing the impeachment investigation by withholding documents and testimony.

“I know that I have been sounding like a broken record here but I really do believe we have to have access to the witnesses and documents,” said Jones.

The senator said that access to witnesses and documents is crucial to provide a “complete picture”.

“Every American, every Alabamian, knows what a real trial looks like,” said the senator. “A real trial has witnesses. A real trial has documents. A real trial has cross examination. But because of Sen. [Mitch] McConnell’s rules, we’re not really in that kind of real trial.”

Jones said that the proceedings of the impeachment trial thus far have been “a summary of previous testimony and presentation of only a few documents.”

“While the case is compelling, it will not be complete without the witnesses and documents,” said Jones. “What the people want and deserve is a complete picture. We need to see these witnesses now and not later.”

Elsewhere in the media call, Jones described the mood within the Senate Chamber as “serious” and “somber”

“I think people are feeling the constitutional weight of this,” he said. “I know I am certainly feeling the weight of the constitution and my oath on my shoulders during these proceedings.”