House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders have decided to delay a full House vote on whether to open an impeachment inquiry into President Trump, according to Politico.
Several centrist Democrats facing difficult reelection bids, as well as powerful committee chairmen, reportedly were opposed to taking the vote.
“There’s no requirement that we have a vote, and at this time, we will not have a vote,” Pelosi commented to reporters on Tuesday. “We’re not here to call bluffs. We’re here to find the truth, to uphold the Constitution of the United States.”
The refusal by Democrats to authorize an impeachment inquiry with a full House-wide vote has drawn the ire of Republicans who claim the move is at odds with historical precedent.
“Unfortunately, you have given no clear indication as to how your impeachment inquiry will proceed — including whether key historical precedents or basic standards of due process will be observed,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) wrote in a letter to Pelosi in September.
White House counsel Pat Cipollone wrote a letter to Pelosi on October 8, calling the impeachment inquiry “constitutionally invalid” without a full House vote.
Democratic leadership announced the opening of an inquiry after allegations surfaced that President Trump tried to improperly pressure the president of Ukraine to conduct investigations damaging to political rival Joe Biden.