House Democrats release text of resolution to formalize impeachment procedures against Trump

Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., said Monday that he was sponsoring the resolution to "ensure transparency and provide a clear path forward" on impeachment. The House Rules Committee is expected to mark up the resolution Wednesday.

"This is the right thing to do for the institution and the American people," McGovern said Monday.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Monday that the House will vote on the resolution to affirm the impeachment investigation, set rules for public hearings and outline the potential process for writing articles of impeachment against Trump. The vote is expected Thursday. It would mark the first formal House vote on the impeachment inquiry.

Pelosi said Monday in a letter to her Democratic colleagues that the planned resolution vote would "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."

In a statement obtained by CNN, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said the decision to vote on an impeachment resolution amounted to Pelosi "finally admitting what the rest of America already knew -- that Democrats were conducting an unauthorized impeachment proceeding, refusing to give the President due process."

"Their secret, shady closed door depositions are completely and irreversibly illegitimate," she said.

Many government officials have cooperated with the inquiry despite Trump's orders. But Pelosi's announcement Monday came just hours after a former White House national security official defied a House subpoena for closed-door testimony, escalating the standoff between Congress and the White House over who will testify.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.