U.S. lawmakers to set rules of engagement for Trump impeachment vote

Democrats and Republicans will grapple on Tuesday over the
rules of engagement for a historic vote this week in the U.S.
House of Representatives, where President Donald Trump is
likely to become the third U.S. president to be impeached.
In what is widely expected to be a marathon meeting, the
House Rules Committee will decide how much time to set
aside for debate on Wednesday before lawmakers vote on two
articles of impeachment charging Trump with abuse of power
and obstruction of Congress over his dealings with Ukraine.
The looming vote promises to bring a raucous, partisan
conclusion to a months-long impeachment inquiry against the
Republican president, which has bitterly divided the American
public as voters prepare for next year’s presidential and
congressional elections.
The Democratic-controlled House is expected to approve the
impeachment articles largely along partisan lines. The action
then moves to the Republican-controlled Senate, where the
effort to remove Trump from office faces long odds.
House Democrats accuse Trump of abusing his power by
asking Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden,
a leading Democratic contender to oppose him in the 2020
U.S. presidential election. He is also accused of obstructing
Congress’ investigation into the matter.
Trump denies wrongdoing and has accused Democrats of
conducting a “sham” impeachment to oust him from office.
The 13-member Rules Committee will hear testimony from
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, whose
panel drafted the impeachment articles and approved them
along party lines last week. The panel’s top Republican,
Representative Doug Collins, also will testify.
Lawmakers are also expected to offer amendments at the
meeting, which could run for 12 hours or more depending on
how many of the House’s 431 sitting legislators decide to
show up and speak.
In the end, the committee will set the rules for the floor
debate that will precede the impeachment vote.