House Democrats are planning the first floor vote of their impeachment inquiry, a vote to “ensure transparency” and lay out the next phase of the probe.
Rep. Jim McGovern, the chairman of the House Rules Committee, said Monday that he will introduce the legislation this week, a first step in making the process public, and a formal vote is expected on Thursday.
“As committees continue to gather evidence and prepare to present their findings, I will be introducing a resolution, which the Rules Committee will mark up this week, to ensure transparency and provide a clear path forward,” McGovern (D-Mass.) posted on Twitter.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi explained the upcoming vote in a letter to lawmakers.
“This resolution establishes the procedure for hearings that are open to the American people, authorizes the disclosure of deposition transcripts, outlines procedures to transfer evidence to the Judiciary Committee as it considers potential articles of impeachment, and sets forth due process rights for the president and his counsel,” Pelosi said in the statement.
An aide to Pelosi said it would be subject to a full House vote on Thursday, The Hill reported.
Pelosi has balked at Republicans’ calls to put the impeachment inquiry up to a full vote in the House, saying one is not required, despite similar votes in the cases of former Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.
Republicans have decried the process Democrats are using so far in which testimony is given behind closed doors to members of House panels involved in the inquiry.
Last week a group of GOP lawmakers stormed a secure room on Capitol Hill where they disrupted a hearing and demanded that the testimony be made public, claiming the Democrats were conducting a “kangaroo court” against President Trump.
Pelosi launched the inquiry last month after a whistleblower’s complaint revealed a July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In it, Trump called on Zelensky to begin an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
Democrats allege Trump held up nearly $400 million in military aid to the country to press Zelensky to start the probe.
Trump has said there was no pressure and described the call as “perfect.”