“I’m willing to take whatever heat there is, there. The decision will be made in a timely fashion. This isn’t endless,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images congress Dems move closer to impeachment in strategy shakeup But Nancy Pelosi remains resistant to opening an impeachment inquiry.

House Democrats on Friday took a major step forward in their legal fight against President Donald Trump — one that looks much like the beginning of impeachment, even as Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to resist a formal inquiry.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler’s announcement on Friday that the House is formally seeking special counsel Robert Mueller’s grand jury information complicates the far more cautious message on impeachment coming from Pelosi and her top deputies.


Nadler said the action “in effect” is part of an impeachment inquiry — though one has not been formally launched — and in petitioning a federal court for the grand jury evidence, House Democrats put in writing for the first time that they are considering whether impeachment is warranted.

“We are continuing an investigation of the president’s malfeasances,” Nadler said. “And we will consider what we have to consider, including whether we should recommend articles of impeachment to the House. That’s the job of our committee.”

But on the same day, Pelosi reiterated that she’s still not ready to endorse a push to launch impeachment proceedings and dismissed the idea she is feeling pressure from her caucus.

“We will proceed when we have what we need to proceed — not one day sooner,” the California Democrat said at her weekly news conference.

House Democrats’ court petition comes two days after Mueller’s appearance reenergized the campaign to open impeachment proceedings, spurring seven more Democrats — including a member of Pelosi’s inner circle — to announce their support for the drive in the past 72 hours. At least 100 of the 235 House Democrats now favor opening an impeachment inquiry.

The dual appearances by Nadler and Pelosi on Friday — which caused some confusion on Capitol Hill — underscored the challenge for the Democratic Caucus about how, and whether, to move ahead with high-stakes legal proceedings that could be seen as a back-door to the start of the impeachment process.

“We’re crossing a threshold, absolutely,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas, who was among 10 Democrats publicly supporting an impeachment inquiry who stood alongside Nadler on Friday.

“The mode that we were operating under before, it really was an oversight function. We’re now crossing a threshold with this filing, and we are now officially entering into an examination of whether or not to recommend articles of impeachment,” the freshman Democrat said.

In substance, Nadler and Pelosi remain very much in line, and the speaker has approved each move that brings the House closer to impeachment proceedings.

“I don’t know that there are real divisions with the speaker,” Nadler said, adding that he agrees with Pelosi that House Democrats should be able to make the “strongest possible case.”

Pelosi has stated all along that her committees have been investigating Trump’s conduct in order to determine whether impeachment is the right path, affirming that the dramatic action remains on the table.

Friday’s court filing is more explicit: The "House must have access to all the relevant facts and consider whether to exercise its full Article I powers, including a constitutional power of the utmost gravity — approval of articles of impeachment.”

Their public messages, however, appeared disjointed on Friday. Nadler’s news conference, which was broadcast live on cable television, laid bare the delicate balance many members are seeking to strike between Pelosi’s position and their own desire for a formal inquiry to begin.

Nadler has, on multiple occasions, explained the benefits of launching a formal impeachment inquiry to Pelosi in private — only to be rebuffed.

Pelosi, at times this week, has appeared more open than ever to impeachment, disputing the idea that she has resisted moving ahead because of Senate Republicans, who surely wouldn’t move forward with impeachment proceedings to convict Trump. But Pelosi has held firm against impeachment and reiterated that she won’t be rushed in her judgment and wants to deepen the House’s investigations.

Seven lawmakers have come out in favor of impeachment since Mueller’s testimony, including House Democratic Caucus Vice Chairwoman Katherine Clark. Reps. Ann Kuster of New Hampshire, a senior Democrat, and Mike Levin of California, a freshman in a battleground district, both announced their support Friday afternoon.

Pelosi on Friday denied accusations from some on the party’s left that she and other top Democrats have intentionally dragged their feet on impeachment.

“No, I’m not trying to run out the clock. Let’s get sophisticated about this, OK?” Pelosi said.

Several lawmakers have privately speculated that Pelosi and other top Democrats have sought to drag out investigations and court battles in hopes of stalling the impeachment push through the fall — when it becomes less politically feasible — though none has gone so far as to formally criticize her decision.

Some members of Democratic leadership believed Pelosi would be able to maintain her hold on the impeachment debate as long as the caucus could make it to the six-week August recess without a stampede toward ousting the president. That goal was achieved on Thursday night, when members departed the Capitol for their districts with just a handful of new members in favor of the effort.

Pelosi said Friday that House Democratic leaders are seeking further evidence before moving ahead — specifically focusing on Trump’s personal finances and business dealings. She said she has “no complaint” with lawmakers who have called for launching impeachment proceedings.

“I’m willing to take whatever heat there is, there. The decision will be made in a timely fashion. This isn’t endless,” Pelosi said.

Trump on Friday called the effort to obtain Mueller’s grand jury evidence a “disgrace.”

“All they want to do is impede. They want to investigate. They want to go fishing,” Trump said.

Kyle Cheney and Heather Caygle contributed to this report.

