The U.S. House of Representatives is plunging into a landmark impeachment week, with Democrats who once hoped to sway Republicans now facing the prospect of an ever-hardening partisan split over the historic question of removing President Donald Trump from office. Lawmakers were getting their first look Monday night — behind closed doors — at the impeachment report from the House intelligence committee. The report, to be released Tuesday, is expected to forcefully make the Democrats’ case that Trump engaged in what chairman Adam Schiff calls impeachable “wrongdoing and misconduct” in withholding military aid while pressuring Ukraine to investigate Democrats and Joe Biden while. For Republicans, the proceedings are simply a “hoax,” with Trump insisting he did nothing wrong and his party allies in line behind him. Late Monday, he tweeted his daily complaints about it all and then added a suggestive question: “Can we go to Supreme Court to stop?” He didn’t elaborate. It’s all boiling down to a historic test of political judgment in a case that is dividing Congress and the country. Departing Monday for a NATO meeting in London, Trump criticized the timing of the impeachment inquiry hearing, which will occur while he is out of the country. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the NATO trip is “one of the most important journeys we make as president” and the summit date was established a year ago. He said Republicans are united in opposing impeachment and the inquiry is backfiring on Democrats, adding, “I think it is going to be a tremendous boost for the Republicans.” Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the NATO trip is “one of the most important journeys we make as president” and the summit date was established a year ago. He said Republicans are united in opposing impeachment and the inquiry is backfiring on Democrats, adding, “I think it is going to be a tremendous boost for the Republicans.” Possible articles of impeachment are focused on whether Trump abused his office as he pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 25 phone call to launch investigations into Trump’s political rivals. At the time, Trump was withholding $400 million US in military aid, jeopardizing key support as Ukraine faced an aggressive Russia at its border. The report from the intelligence panel also was expected to include material the Democrats say suggests obstruction of Congress, based on Trump’s instructions for his administration to defy subpoenas for documents and testimony. The next step comes Wednesday, when the judiciary committee gavels its own hearings open ahead of a possible impeachment vote by the full House by Christmas. That would presumably send the issue to the Senate for a trial in January. The Democratic majority on the intelligence committee says its report, compiled after weeks of testimony from current and former diplomats and administration officials, will speak for itself in laying out the president’s actions toward Ukraine. Source: CBC News