The House voted along party lines on Thursday to pass a resolution advancing the impeachment inquiry against President Trump.
The resolution passed 232-196 with the support of all but three House Democrats. It formalizes procedures for the "public-facing phase" of the impeachment probe, including open hearings before the Intelligence Committee. Republicans on that panel will be able to request witness testimony, but Democratic committee chairmen will have the option to decline those requests.
Following the Intelligence Committee hearings, Trump and his lawyers will be allowed to question witnesses and request testimony and documents before the House Judiciary Committee.
The resolution “affirms the ongoing, existing investigation that is currently being conducted by our committees as part of this impeachment inquiry,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote in a letter to Democrats published on Monday.
Republicans have dismissed the non-binding legislation, saying the measure denies President Trump "due process" and have accused Pelosi and House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff of conducting the impeachment probe in the dark.
Meanwhile, the GOP Senate majority has warned that the resolution is a non-starter in the upper chamber.
"They have denied President Trump basic due process and are cutting his counsel out of the process in an unprecedented way. House Democrats' new resolution does not change any of that," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday. "The draft resolution that has been released does nothing of the sort. It falls way short, way short."
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