Democrats to Unveil Plans for Impeachment Probe Transparency

WASHINGTON (CN) – Under fire over the process, if not the content of inquiry meant to impeach President Donald Trump, House Democrats said Monday they will unveil a resolution this week outlining the rules and procedures moving forward.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced the coming resolution in a letter to fellow Democrats.

House Republicans – and President Donald Trump – have frequently made the argument that the inquiry is invalid because the full House of Representatives has failed to take a vote on it.

“Of course, this argument has no merit,” Speaker Pelosi wrote Monday.

A federal judge reached the same conclusion Friday, ruling that the House is not obligated to hold a vote and any effort to force a vote would amount to an intrusion on the legislative body’s constitutional authority.

Representative James McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat who chairs the House Rules Committee, said Pelosi’s promised resolution will be marked up in committee on Wednesday. A vote in the House is expected Thursday.

“This is a solemn time for our country,” McGovern said. “With our existing authority under the Constitution and the rules of the House, Congress has been investigating serious allegations involving President Trump and Ukraine. There is mounting evidence that the president abused his power and betrayed our national security while compromising the integrity of America’s elections.”

He also emphasized that the resolution will “ensure transparency and a clear path forward.”

The specific text of the resolution has not yet been published but Pelosi said it will feature regulations around public hearings, the publication or release of transcripts, closed-door interview processes and how evidence will be transferred to the House Judiciary Committee.

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