WASHINGTON _ Amid growing political pressure from Republicans, House Democratic leaders on Tuesday were gauging support for holding a vote to formally establish the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump _ even through the inquiry is already underway, according to Democratic sources.
Democratic leaders were touching base with members in the most competitive House districts to test their appetite for holding the inquiry vote after being away from Washington for two weeks, according to aides familiar with the request. While Congress was out of session, public support for the impeachment inquiry rose, according to public polls.
No final decision on whether to hold a vote has been made, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she would make an announcement on the impeachment inquiry vote Tuesday evening after she met with her Democratic members.
Pelosi announced three weeks ago that Democrats would begin a formal inquiry, a move that doesn't require a vote on the House floor though one was held during the Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton impeachment inquiries.
Democrats have faced pressure from Republicans to hold the House floor vote, arguing that no lawmaker should escape the political ramifications of such a consequential vote.
Holding the vote will also undercut a key GOP talking point against the inquiry _ that Democrats are conducting a sham, partisan inquiry that gives Republicans little right to participate.
White House officials specifically cited the lack of a House vote in their letter declaring that they wouldn't participate in the inquiry. But even with a vote, few expect the White House would then cooperate.
Republicans may hope that a formal resolution will include language giving them more powers to participate in the inquiry, such as subpoenaing their own witnesses. But it's unclear what any resolution might say and it's doubtful Democrats would cede such power to the minority party.
"There's no requirement that there be a floor vote," Pelosi said earlier this month when asked why the House wouldn't hold the vote. "That's not anything that is excluded and, by the way, there's some Republicans that are very nervous about our bringing that vote to the floor."
The vote would be politically contentious for a handful of moderates in both parties. But Republicans may have more at stake. Only eight Democrats have not publicly supported an impeachment inquiry. All of them represent districts that Trump won _ and five of them are districts where Trump won substantially, by more than 10 percentage points.
Several other moderate Democrats saw little public backlash for their inquiry support during the recess. In fact, Rep. Max Rose, D-N.Y., was applauded at a town hall meeting earlier this month when he announced his support for an inquiry for the first time.
But while the vote will force those moderate Democrats to pick a side, it will also force Republicans to do so as well. GOP lawmakers, who have overwhelmingly stuck with Trump through the House's impeachment investigation, will have to decide whether Trump's actions warrant an inquiry.
