US House to vote on Trump impeachment procedures on Thursday

Washington DC [USA], Oct 29 (ANI): House Democrats are set to formally vote on October 31 on impeachment procedures against US President Donald Trump.
Chairman of the House Rules Committee Jim McGovern said on Monday that he will introduce a resolution to "ensure transparency" and "provide a clear path forward" in the impeachment inquiry, The Hill reported.
This will be the first formal vote on the new impeachment process by the House of Representatives after Speaker Nancy Pelosi had backed the need for an inquiry against the US President last month.
In a 'dear colleague letter', Pelosi said, "We are taking this step to eliminate any doubt as to whether the Trump administration may withhold documents, prevent witness testimony, disregard duly authorised subpoenas, or continue obstructing the House of Representatives."
The resolution is expected to affirm the ongoing inquiry and establish procedures for public hearings, authorise the release of witness deposition transcripts and outline the process for transferring evidence to the House Judiciary Committee, which would be tasked with drafting and approving articles of impeachment, according to the US-based newspaper.
"As committees continue to gather evidence and prepare to present their findings, I will be introducing a resolution to ensure transparency and provide a clear path forward. This is the right thing to do for the institution and the American people," McGovern said in a statement.
In September, Pelosi had announced that the House would launch a formal impeachment inquiry into the allegations that the President abused his power by pushing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to "look into" Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that no pressure was put on Zelensky.
The vote on the resolution comes even as Republicans are mounting pressure on the Democrats to conduct their impeachment proceedings in public beyond the series of closed-door witness statements with current and former Trump administration officials over the past month.
As of now, members from three committees -- Intelligence, Oversight and Reform, and Foreign Affairs -- that are leading the impeachment investigation are permitted to be present during interviews of witnesses in a secure facility in the sub-basement of the Capitol.
According to a statement from the Rules Committee, the resolution is "directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its constitutional power to impeach Donald John Trump". (ANI)