A push by House conservatives to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Rod RosensteinDOJ kept investigators from completing probe of Trump ties to Russia: report Five takeaways from final Senate Intel Russia report FBI officials hid copies of Russia probe documents fearing Trump interference: book MORE has divided GOP leadership, creating an issue that could become a litmus test in the race to replace retiring Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.).

Majority Whip Steve Scalise Stephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseHouse GOP slated to unveil agenda ahead of election House panel details 'serious' concerns around Florida, Georgia, Texas, Wisconsin elections Scalise hit with ethics complaint over doctored Barkan video MORE (La.), the No. 3 Republican, said Thursday that he would vote in favor of impeaching Rosenstein if the resolution were brought to the floor today.

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“I would, because right now Rosenstein has not done his job in complying with Congress,” Scalise told Fox News. “If Rosenstein wants to comply and turn over the documents, we won’t have this conversation. But if he’s not going to do the job that he’s required to do and comply with the subpoenas from Congress, there are other tools that we have to use.”

Conservative members led by Reps. Mark Meadows Mark Randall MeadowsAnxious Democrats amp up pressure for vote on COVID-19 aid Pelosi hopeful COVID-19 relief talks resume 'soon' The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November MORE (R-N.C.) and Jim Jordan James (Jim) Daniel JordanHouse panel pulls Powell into partisan battles over pandemic Sunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election House passes resolution condemning anti-Asian discrimination relating to coronavirus MORE (R-Ohio), along with nine co-sponsors, introduced five articles of impeachment Wednesday shortly after a meeting with Department of Justice (DOJ) officials concerning document production. Conservative lawmakers have complained for months that the DOJ is stonewalling their request for documents.

Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthyMcCarthy says there will be a peaceful transition if Biden wins GOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power McCarthy claims protests in Louisville, other cities are 'planned, orchestrated events' MORE (R-Calif.), Ryan’s top deputy, would not say how he would vote on the impeachment move and indicated that the resolution should go through regular order before being brought to the House floor for a vote.

"I always think you've got to go through committee," said McCarthy, who controls the floor. "It's very clear the DOJ has got to do a better job producing memos. They've improved but they've got a responsibility, and we have responsibility for a check and balance."

Ryan dismissed the idea that impeachment is necessary.

"I don't think we should be cavalier with this process or this term," Ryan said Thursday at his weekly news conference. "I don't think this rises to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors."

Ryan has already backed McCarthy, his chief deputy and heir apparent, to succeed him as Speaker. But Scalise is expected to run for the job if McCarthy drops his bid like he did in 2015, after conservatives declined to back him.

Jordan, one of the House Freedom Caucus members who is leading the impeachment effort, officially announced his own bid for Speaker on Thursday, though it could be part of a strategy to extract more concessions from any front-runner in exchange for the group’s support.

Winning over the support of the Freedom Caucus, a bloc of roughly 30 conservative hard-liners, will be crucial for any Republican hoping to secure the Speaker’s gavel. And a full-throated endorsement of the impeachment push could help endear any candidate to the caucus.

"This is a big win for Steve Scalise," one conservative lawmaker told The Hill.

Not long after Scalise’s Fox News interview, he was seen meeting on the House floor with several Freedom Caucus members and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte Robert (Bob) William GoodlatteNo documents? Hoping for legalization? Be wary of Joe Biden Press: Trump's final presidential pardon: himself USCIS chief Cuccinelli blames Paul Ryan for immigration inaction MORE (R-Va.). During the discussion, they agreed to keep both impeachment and contempt on the table in order to “keep the pressure up on DOJ to demonstrate how serious the House is about obtaining these documents as part of their oversight role,” according to a GOP aide.

Conservatives say the FBI acted improperly during its investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonFox News poll: Biden ahead of Trump in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio Trump, Biden court Black business owners in final election sprint The power of incumbency: How Trump is using the Oval Office to win reelection MORE’s use of a private email server and its investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, and said Rosenstein has a conflict of interest.

"For 9 months we’ve warned them consequences were coming, and for 9 months we’ve heard the same excuses backed up by the same unacceptable conduct," Meadows, the chairman of the Freedom Caucus and an ally of President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE, said in a statement. "Time is up and the consequences are here. It’s time to find a new Deputy Attorney General who is serious about accountability and transparency."

But the resolution was filed as “non-privileged,” meaning that the House will not be forced to vote on the measure unless GOP leaders decide to bring it to the floor.

Meadows later said, on Thursday, that he is tabling his efforts to impeach Rosenstein after having several meetings with Republican leadership. He said he would instead pursue contempt if the DOJ does not turn over the documents Congress is seeking.

Still, the introduction of impeachment articles has thrust the feud with top law enforcement officials into the spotlight and divided the House GOP just as they head home for the August recess.

Rep. Mark Walker Bradley (Mark) Mark WalkerJoe Biden has long forgotten North Carolina: Today's visit is too late Mike Johnson to run for vice chairman of House GOP conference The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by National Industries for the Blind - Woodward book revelations rock Washington MORE (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, rejected the calls for impeachment.

“At this point, I do not [support it], because I believe we’re getting the cart before the horse,” Walker told reporters on Thursday. “If we have a problem overall with how the DOJ is operating, we should be putting pressure on the attorney general, and not going after one of the deputies.”

But Walker, who is considered a dark horse candidate for Speaker should McCarthy and Scalise both stumble, made it clear that he was not criticizing the Freedom Caucus’s effort, even though he doesn’t agree with it.

“I’m not overly critical of what they’re trying to do,” Walker added.

Another potential contender for Speaker if McCarthy and Scalise falter is Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry Patrick Timothy McHenryCheney battle raises questions about House GOP's future Hillicon Valley: Democrats request counterintelligence briefing | New pressure for election funding | Republicans urge retaliation against Chinese hackers House Republicans urge Trump to take action against Chinese hackers targeting coronavirus research MORE (R-N.C.).

But like McCarthy, McHenry said that the impeachment articles should go through regular order and declined to say how he would vote on the resolution.

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen the hearing yet, I haven’t seen the witnesses, I haven’t seen the documents,” McHenry told The Hill.

Elsewhere in the GOP conference, however, Republicans were firmly opposed to the idea.

Vulnerable Reps. Jeff Denham Jeffrey (Jeff) John DenhamBottom line Bottom line Lobbying world MORE (R-Calif.) and Brian Fitzpatrick Brian K. FitzpatrickHopes for DC, Puerto Rico statehood rise Florida Democrat introduces bill to recognize Puerto Rico statehood referendum DCCC reserves new ad buys in competitive districts, adds new members to 'Red to Blue' program MORE (R-Pa.) both told The Hill that they would vote “no” on impeachment if it were on the floor, while retiring Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Ileana Carmen Ros-LehtinenEx-Florida GOP congresswoman under federal investigation: report 'Trump show' convention sparks little interest on K Street Shalala to face Salazar in Florida rematch MORE (R-Fla.) called it a “political stunt.”

And Rep. Carlos Curbelo Carlos Luis CurbeloGOP wants more vision, policy from Trump at convention Mucarsel-Powell, Giménez to battle for Florida swing district The Memo: GOP cringes at new Trump race controversy MORE (R-Fla.), who is in one of the most competitive races in the country, immediately took to Twitter on Wednesday night to slam the idea.

“Reckless publicity stunt,” he wrote. “No different from Dems who filed articles of impeachment against the President some months ago. What a sad, pathetic game of “how low can you go?”

Reckless publicity stunt. No different from Dems who filed articles of impeachment against the President some months ago. What a sad, pathetic game of “how low can you go?” https://t.co/bWEpDZn3j8 — Carlos Curbelo (@carloslcurbelo) July 26, 2018

Updated at 3:47 p.m.