House Will Vote To Formalize Impeachment Procedures In Ongoing Inquiry

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced in a letter to Democrats on Monday that the House will vote to formalize the procedures in the ongoing impeachment inquiry of President Trump.

The resolution will outline the terms for public hearings, the disclosure of deposition transcripts, procedures to transfer evidence to the House Judiciary Committee and due process rights for Trump.

Senior Democratic aides said the resolution will be released on Wednesday, with a House vote on Thursday.

"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," Pelosi wrote.

So far the White House has refused to comply with the inquiry because the House has not voted. It is unclear if passage of the resolution will change the White House's strategy as the investigation intensifies.

The White House and congressional Republicans have criticized Democrats for not conducting a full House vote at the onset to authorize the impeachment inquiry, as Congress did for Bill Clinton's impeachment. Neither the Constitution nor House rules require that, but it has given Republicans a unifying talking point to attack the inquiry so far.