What Democrats want

To communicate to Americans the gravity of Trump’s alleged misdeeds and why they warrant his impeachment. If the Intelligence Committee revealed a president using his power to pressure Ukraine to investigate a 2020 rival, it’s up to the Judiciary Committee to show why such a transgression amounts to an “abuse of power” that demands his removal from office.

How Republicans plan to fight back

If you thought the Intelligence Committee’s hearings showcased Congress’ partisan dysfunction, get ready for a much bigger circus. The Judiciary panel has a slew of Trump's fiercest allies who plan to defend Trump in part by arguing the entire process undertaken by Democrats has been unfair. Look for relentless procedural fights and “point of order” interjections that threaten the flow of the hearings.

Republicans also intend to mount a substantive defense: that Democrats are moving to impeach Trump over differences in policy and a belief that he's a bad president — but that the evidence doesn't support allegations of high crimes and misdemeanors.

The big risks for Trump

The Judiciary Committee's proceedings are the first that will permit Trump a chance to participate either directly or through his White House counsel. So far, however, the White House has given no indication he will do so.

Trump may be loath to lend legitimacy to a process he hates and is eager to discredit. But after weeks of demanding his rights to “due process,” refusing to participate may undercut his arguments. It also deprives Trump of another chance to make his case to the public.

First up



The first Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday will feature a panel of constitutional experts discussing the definition of "high crimes and misdemeanors" and whether Trump's conduct, as described by the Intelligence Committee and other House investigators, meets the standards set out in the Constitution.

Rules adopted by the House also permit the Intelligence Committee's counsel, along with counsel of other committees that have investigated aspects of Trump's conduct as president, to present the evidence they unearthed.

A speedy process

Once the Judiciary Committee completes its series of hearings — the number and topics of which are still yet to be announced — the panel is expected to draft the actual articles of impeachment that will be considered by the House.

The most significant question facing the panel? Whether to limit the charges to “abuse of power” based on the Ukraine probe or include “obstruction of justice” based on evidence supplied by special counsel Robert Mueller. Democrats also seem likely to charge Trump with “obstruction of Congress,” which would capture broad efforts by Trump to deny witnesses and documents to congressional investigators.