What to watch ahead of the impeachment vote

The House of Representatives plans to open debate Wednesday over whether to impeach the president for the third time in American history as Democrats bring forward two articles of impeachment, charging President Donald Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The debate will fall sharply along party lines, with Democrats asserting that Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanors by pressuring Ukraine to tarnish Democratic rivals to aid his reelection campaign while Republicans argue that the majority was engaged in a partisan witch hunt against a president they fear they could not beat at the polls. The House plans to vote by the end of the day. THE BASICS Rough Rundown of the Day: — In the morning, the House is expected to vote to adopt the rules that the House Rules Committee hashed out Tuesday. This will be the first procedural vote by the full chamber to lay the groundwork for formally impeaching Trump. — Early in the day, expect a lot of parliamentary moves by the Republicans to register their opposition and slow the process, which could lead to multiple procedural votes that don’t amount to much. The votes everyone is waiting for — on the two articles of impeachment — are expected in the evening, most likely between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. The House will hold a separate vote on each of the two articles. — The House may also vote to empower Speaker Nancy Pelosi to name impeachment managers, whose identities are likely to become public in the coming days. The managers are House members who act much like prosecutors in the impeachment trial to come in the Senate, presenting the findings of the House inquiry to their colleagues across the Capitol. Senators decide whether to acquit the president or convict and remove him from office — which requires a two-thirds vote, or 67 senators if all are present. When and Where:

The morning proceedings are likely to start around 9 a.m. Eastern on the House floor.