The late hour lent a charged vibe of prime-time urgency to the spectacle. But the mood quickly reverted to the same themes and boilerplates familiar to anyone who has been paying attention over the past five weeks.

Democrats said they had a clear-cut case against Mr. Trump and were determined to hold him to account for his actions. Republicans accused Democrats of trying to “overturn the results of an election,” of being blinded by their hatred of the president and, yes, of his supporters and their “way of life.”

The committee’s debate was actually the start of a “markup,” lawmaking parlance for the process House and Senate committees use to amend and hash out whatever legislative action they plan to advance to the floor for a full House vote. Ideally, this would be a collaborative process, marked by good faith, willingness to compromise and trust between the parties.

Ideally.

And then there was Wednesday night. Over three and a half hours, committee members took turns talking about how somber and solemn and prayerful this occasion was.

“A sad day in U.S. history,” said Representative Karen Bass, Democrat of California.

“I agree with everybody that tonight is a very solemn night,” said Representative Jim Sensenbrenner, Republican of Wisconsin.