Before the articles were sent across the U.S. Capitol to the Senate chamber, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., signed a resolution that allowed her to designate the House members who will serve as managers of the impeachment trial .

Articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump that the House of Representatives passed in December were officially transmitted to the Senate on Wednesday, paving the way for a trial to begin as early as next week.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is surrounded by the House impeachment managers and committee chairs as she signs the two articles of impeachment of U.S. President Donald Trump before sending them over to the U.S. Senate during an engrossment ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, January 15, 2020.

The resolution also allowed the House to appropriate funds for the trial.

Let it be "very clear," Pelosi said before signing the document, "that this president will be held accountable."

The resolution passed the House nearly along party lines in a 228-193 vote earlier Wednesday. No Republicans voted for it.

House Democrats voted Dec. 18 to impeach Trump on the two articles, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Both articles stem from Trump's efforts to have Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announce investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter as well as a debunked conspiracy theory about the 2016 election.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he thinks the impeachment trial could begin as soon as Tuesday.

He and other Republicans received the articles in the Senate chamber.

"I'm confident that this body can rise above short term-ism and factional fever, and serve the long-term best interests of our nation," McConnell said on the Senate floor after the articles were brought over.

Earlier Wednesday, Pelosi named the seven House Democrats who will serve as impeachment managers in the trial in the Senate.