Pelosi says she doesn't need an impeachment inquiry vote, then schedules one

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D- Calif., issued a statement Monday with whole paragraphs justifying why she doesn't need the House to vote on an impeachment inquiry for one to go forward.

Then she said she will hold a vote anyway, on Thursday, the Washington Examiner reported.

"We are taking this step to eliminate any doubt as to whether the Trump administration may withhold documents, prevent witness testimony, disregard duly authorized subpoenas, or continue obstructing the House of Representatives," she wrote.

Pelosi said she didn't need the vote, insisting the Trump administration's claim that procedures and rules need to be established is invalid.

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But she said she will hold a vote to ensure that hearings are open, depositions are disclosed, evidence procedures are established and due process is protected.

The White House, arguing there has been no full House vote, has refused to comply with House demands for witnesses, testimony and evidence.

Republican North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows called the upcoming vote "rich" because Democrats have "spent weeks conducting interviews in secret, leaking their own talking points while locking down any and all information that benefits the president."

The focus of the impeachment inquiry is the president's call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. An anonymous whistleblower claims the president engaged in a quid pro quo. But the White House released a transcript of the July 25 call and contends it exonerates Trump.

The Hill reported it would be the first formal vote on the new impeachment process by the House since Pelosi backed an inquiry in September.

Pelosi previously resisted impeachment proceedings, recognizing that the impeachment of President Bill Clinton backfired on Republicans, and dozens of House Democrats were elected in districts won by Trump.