Despite calls by some Democrats for the House to hold a formal impeachment inquiry, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday the investigation will continue without such a vote.
“There is no requirement we have a vote and at this time we will not have a vote,” Pelosi said.
Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who is leading the investigation, said Congress is following the Constitution.
“They would much rather discuss process because they can’t defend the president’s conduct,” said the California Democrat.
Some Democrats wanted a vote to challenge an uncooperative White House that has declared the inquiry to be illegitimate and it calls the bluff of the president, who dared Pelosi to hold a vote to open an impeachment probe.
“We are not here to call bluffs,” Pelosi said. “This is deadly serious.”
Pelosi appeared eager to emphasize the legislative schedule, not impeachment, when she spoke to reporters following a closed-door meeting with Democrats.
She cited Democratic proposals to lower prescription drugs and to make college education more affordable and accessible as well as a bill to curb gun violence, all while probing Trump’s alleged wrongdoing.
“We are legislating we are investigating and we are litigating,” Pelosi said Tuesday after meeting privately with Democrats in the basement of the Capitol.
The House Intelligence is leading the impeachment probe behind closed doors in a room in the basement.
The investigation is based on a whistleblower complaint about Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During the call, Trump asked Zelensky to investigate past actions of Joe Biden, who is running for president, as well as Democrats and their effort to dig up dirt on his 2016 campaign.
Pelosi characterized Trump’s behavior on the call as “asking a foreign government to help with his reelection by threatening to withhold … security assistance,” sanctioned by Congress. Pelosi said that act “has so many violations in it.”
