Democrats plan to hold a House vote on impeachment after all. The resolution won't authorize the impeachment inquiry that's already begun, the Wall Street Journal reports, but this will be the first formal vote affirming it. It will establish a formal process and next steps, Democrats said. The measure will allow for the disclosure of deposition transcripts; Republicans have complained that the process has lacked transparency. It also will spell out President Trump's due-process rights in the inquiry. "We are taking this step to eliminate any doubt as to whether the Trump Administration may withhold documents, prevent witness testimony, disregard duly authorized subpoenas, or continue obstructing the House of Representatives," Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to Democrats.
White House officials said they'd have no comment until they'd read the text of the resolution, which hasn't been released yet. Other Republicans weighed in. "House Democrats now suddenly saying they'll vote on an impeachment resolution to 'ensure transparency' is rich—considering they've spent weeks conducting interviews in secret," said Rep. Mark Meadows, per the Hill. The change in Democrats' plan appears to be intended to quiet GOP criticism of the process, but Republicans weren't of one mind on how to respond. Sen. Josh Hawley called the decision "a fig leaf," per Politico, while Sen. Deb Fischer said her party should call it a victory. "We've seen what we’ve wanted to see," Fischer said. The vote is scheduled for Thursday. (More Trump impeachment stories.)
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