The U.S. House of Representatives voted today (Oct. 31) in favor of formalizing the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
The vote to approve the formal procedures passed largely along party lines, with all of the Democrats in the House but two voting for, and all Republicans voting against. Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI) also voted in favor of the resolution. Now an independent, Amash notably left the Republican party earlier this year.
The two Democrats who voted against the House’s resolution were Reps. Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ) and Collin Peterson (D-MN).
The resolution passes amidst a landscape of partisan divides regarding this impeachment inquiry. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced the inquiry into investigating potentially impeachable offenses by the President last month, which was met with immediate and sustained pushback from Republicans, alleging that Democrats were breaking rules and precedents set forth by prior examples. Republicans have since called for Democrats to open the procedures up to a full House vote, though it is not constitutionally required to do so.
Thursday, critics got their wish, and the House passed the formal proceedings.
The resolution passed outlines how the House and its subcommittees leading this impeachment investigation will continue into the next phase. The House Democrats released the text of the resolution earlier this week, which cited “open and transparent” continuations of the investigation going forward, the transmission of additional materials related to the inquiry and further breakdowns for the future proceedings.
Since the original whistleblower complaint dropped, alleging that President Trump had engaged in a quid pro quo with Ukraine in order to gain politically motivated dirt on Joe Biden, his potential presidential rival, the House has seen and questioned a number of witnesses behind closed doors that have seemingly moved the ball forward, many of whom have allegedly corroborated the whistleblower’s account.
What has been reported about these testimonies has many Democrats in Washington acting emboldened, more staunch in their attitudes towards the prospect of impeachment. For Republicans, criticisms have been raised about the interrogations happening behind closed doors, with many GOP members of the House protesting being “shut out.” Democrats and Republicans alike on each respective committee – Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight – have access to the hearings of their given committee. Those outside of these committees, Democrat or Republican, do not.
And with the passage of Thursday’s formal resolution, public hearings are now sure to come.
“Today we move further down the path in our inquiry by putting forth our procedures, which are very transparent and open and frankly more transparent and more open giving more privileges to the President,” Speaker Pelosi said before the votes were cast. “It isn’t about partisanship, it’s about patriotism.”
Pelosi also referred to the day’s events as “sad,” saying that “nobody comes to Congress to impeach a president.”
President Trump responded to the news of the resolution’s passing, on Twitter.
The Impeachment Hoax is hurting our Stock Market. The Do Nothing Democrats don’t care!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2019
The Greatest Witch Hunt In American History!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2019
According to what many Democratic sources are purportedly telling national media outlets, their planned timeline of events is to open up public impeachment hearings before Thanksgiving, and a House vote on whether to issue articles of impeachment by Christmas.
READ MORE: House Launches Official Impeachment Inquiry into President Trump