Formal Impeachment Proceedings Have Started

[politicallefty]

This is actually the smart way to do things. Whether or not it means the impeachment of Donald Trump is almost irrelevant. The most important thing when the committee says this is that the courts become far more deferential to Congressional action. The impeachment process is considered to be a form of judicial proceeding and the courts recognize it as such. Congressional investigatory powers under the guise of impeachment are far more powerful and the courts are far more deferential. This move has the effect of exercising those powers while avoiding a full House vote (which has never been constitutionally necessary to begin with).