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U.S. Representative Kendra Horn announced early Thursday that she will vote for the bill that lays out the rest of the inquiry process for possible impeachment of President Trump.

“This is not a decision I made lightly, and this is not a vote for impeachment,” said Horn.

She remains cautious about how she will vote if articles of impeachment are submitted for a full House vote in the future.

Process

Closed-door inquiries to date have been conducted out of view of the public but including members of Congress from both parties who have had equal time to ask questions in the hearings.

The vote for the bill is expected later Thursday morning, but, Horn’s staff warned that vote schedules are changed often.

The bill lays out the formal process for proceeding with inquiries into suspected impeachable offenses of President Donald Trump.

A press release sent around 7:00 a.m. Thursday gave Horn’s reasoning for going along with the majority when she had been reluctant to do so in the past.

After much thought and consideration, I have made the decision to vote for the House Inquiry Resolution. This is not a decision I made lightly, and this is not a vote for impeachment. It is a vote to create clear rules for effective public hearings and ensure transparency for the American people. As I’ve said all along, I always look at the facts in front of me and vote in the best interests of Oklahomans.

She assured voters that she has approached the issue “without any predetermined opinion or judgment,” and identified the questions being raised as “serious.”

Break with Okla delegation

Democrats are in the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and are the minority party in the Senate.

Horn’s U.S. 5th District includes Oklahoma City and some of the northern suburbs. It also includes Pottawatomie and Seminole Counties to the southeast of Oklahoma City. (See the map below.)

Horn delivered an upset victory for the Democratic Party in the last election ousting long-term incumbent Steve Russell, a Republican.

The rest of the Oklahoma delegation are Republicans and have voiced objections to the process being undertaken to date.

They have demanded a public vote to formalize the inquiry, which the bill today does.

However, the current process of using closed-door hearings in the early stages of an investigation closely resembles the Bengazi investigation process conducted by Republicans who were in the majority during the Obama administration.

Cautious

Horn has been cautious about making any statement committing herself to decide on the issues being investigated.

In an impromptu news conference held after a town hall on the south side of Oklahoma City Sept 30, Horn faced national news reporters and refused to be baited into saying one way or the other whether she would vote for impeachment at that point.

“I’m going to say to voters what I said on the doorstep, which is that I’m going to look at every single issue, I’m going to ask the questions, and I’m going to do my best to make decisions in the best interests of the public,” Horn said.

“This isn’t something we should be celebrating and something we should be jumping to conclusions about,” Horn said. “This is serious.”

Map of the U.S. 5th Congressional District of Oklahoma currently being served by Rep. Kendra Horn.

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