Pelosi presiding over impeachment vote

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is expected to preside over the House floor on Thursday as the lower chamber casts its first vote on impeachment, underscoring the importance of the vote for the Democratic leader.

Pelosi presided over debate leading up to the vote on Thursday. The chamber will vote on a resolution that directs committees to continue their work on the impeachment probe and lays the groundwork for the upcoming public phase of the inquiry.

Historically, the Speaker of the House only closes votes during significant bills and resolutions in the lower chamber.{mosads}

Pelosi announced her decision to bring the resolution to the floor in a “Dear Colleague” letter earlier this week, telling members of her caucus it could help provide leverage and add transparency to the impeachment process.

“This resolution ensures transparency, advancing public disclosure of deposition transcripts and outlying the procedures for the transfer of evidence to the Judiciary Committee to use in its proceedings,” she said on the floor ahead of the vote.

“It enables effective public hearings setting out procedures for the questioning of witnesses and continuing the precedent of giving the minority the same rights in questioning witnesses as the majority,” she added. “Which has been true at every step of this inquiry despite what you might hear.”

Republicans have repeatedly blasted the measure, arguing that a vote should have been held at the start of the inquiry and codifies what they allege is an unfair process. 

The resolution  — which was introduced by House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) — is expected to pass along party lines.