House votes to formalize impeachment inquiry

Democrats in the US House of Representatives have approved a resolution that lays out rules for how the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump will go ahead and outlined what rights he will have during the probe.

The Democratic-controlled House voted 232 to 196 to hold public hearings in the impeachment inquiry.

It will look into the president's alleged attempts to pressure Ukraine President Volodymr Zelenskiy into investigating his political rival former vice president and 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

The move is likely to prove damaging for the president in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election.

But the first hurdle in the formal impeachment inquiry showed that Democrats have enough support in the House to push ahead and possibly bring formal charges against Trump if the evidence against him stacks up.

Trump quickly fired back on Twitter railing against the vote, tweeting: "The Greatest Witch Hunt In American History!"

House Democrats and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi opened an inquiry into Trump after evidence surfaced that he may have abused his power while in office for personal gain.

A telephone transcript of a call between Trump and Zelenskiy appeared to show Trump urging for an investigation into the vice president and his son Hunter, who had served as a director for Ukrainian energy company Burisma. It came as the administration was withholding military aid from the Eastern European ally.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said before the vote: "It's a sad day. No one comes to Congress to impeach a president."

Pelosi voted yes on today's resolution formalizing the impeachment inquiry into President Trump.

House Speakers do not usually vote, but Pelosi wanted to make her support for her party clear.

The vote was widely supported by Democrats. Only two voted against their party's line. Democratic Congressmen Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Collin Peterson of Minnesota. Republicans all towed the line and did not back the vote. Rep. Justin Amash, a former Republican, who is now an Independent, voted in favor of the inquiry.

Trump has repeatedly denied the accusations against him, branding the phone call "perfect."

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham hit back at Democrats after the vote.

She said in a statement: "The President has done nothing wrong, and the Democrats know it. Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats' unhinged obsession with this illegitimate impeachment proceeding does not hurt President Trump; it hurts the American people."