A Republican member of the House Freedom Caucus introduced a motion to adjourn to essentially stop wasting time on impeachment, which was later rejected on a party-line vote.
After Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) introduced the motion, a roll call was taken and was rejected.
“So we can stop wasting America’s time on impeachment, I move that the House do now adjourn,” Biggs said on the House floor.
The vote clears the way for debate on the procedures for today’s impeachment proceedings.
Meanwhile, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) is currently presiding over the House proceedings, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will take over when members vote on the articles of impeachment later in the night. Pelosi is also supposed to deliver a speech tonight.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) later called for a vote on a resolution condemning the Democratic chairmen of the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees, Adam Schiff and Jerrold Nadler, for their handling of the impeachment inquiry. It was also rejected by the Democratic majority.
“We don’t look at it as stalling, we just look at it that we are going to hold the ground until the very end,” Walker said. “It’s a sad—in fact I have my funeral attire on today—it’s a sad day. It really is, it’s not a day to be snarky, this is an abuse of the system.”
Throughout the day, members of the GOP will have the ability to motion to adjourn while debating. They can also ask the chair to strike from the record statements made by Democrats.
On the eve of the vote, Pelosi sent a letter on Tuesday to the 232 Democratic members of the House, arguing that they would be abiding to the Constitution’s standards by voting yes.
“Very sadly, the facts have made clear that the president abused his power for his own personal, political benefit and that he obstructed Congress as he demanded that he is above accountability, above the Constitution and above the American people,” she wrote.
Trump, in a letter to Pelosi, accused her and the Democrats of abusing their power.
