House Democrats are moving aggressively to wrap up their historic, weeks-long investigation into President Trump Donald John TrumpFederal prosecutor speaks out, says Barr 'has brought shame' on Justice Dept.  Former Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No.  1 Supreme Court pick MORE before 2020, potentially setting up a climactic vote to impeach him just before Christmas. 

The timeline has come into sharper focus as Democrats have made a series of critical moves signaling they are shutting down the closed-door fact-finding phase of the inquiry and shifting now to Phase 2: making the case for impeachment to the American public. 

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Congressional investigators, led by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffSchiff to subpoena top DHS official, alleges whistleblower deposition is being stonewalled Schiff claims DHS is blocking whistleblower's access to records before testimony GOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power MORE (D-Calif.), appear to have wrapped up the last of 15 private depositions of current and former Trump administration officials.  This week they began publishing thousands of pages of transcripts from those interviews. 

And next week, Democrats will launch the first public, televised hearings of their nearly seven-week-long impeachment inquiry, calling three career foreign service officials who have already testified that Trump, his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani Rudy GiulianiThe Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting CIA found Putin 'probably directing' campaign against Biden: report Democrats fear Russia interference could spoil bid to retake Senate MORE and their allies were seeking a brazen quid pro quo with Ukraine. 

“I think, without being hasty, again, but being expeditious and deliberative, that the House ought to set for themselves a target of having dealt with this in the Intelligence Committee and Foreign Affairs and Oversight and the Judiciary Committee and on the floor by Christmas,” Rep. Denny Heck Dennis (Denny) Lynn HeckExclusive: Guccifer 2.0 hacked memos expand on Pennsylvania House races Heck enjoys second political wind Incoming lawmaker feeling a bit overwhelmed MORE (D-Wash.), a member of the Intelligence Committee, told CNN’s “The Situation Room” on Thursday night. 

“That's a tough schedule.  But it's a doable schedule, given where we're at and all the work that's been done thus far,” Heck said. 

There are other signs that Democrats are charging toward a December floor vote to make Trump just the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. 

Several top Trump officials who played pivotal roles in the administration's dealings with Ukraine — including Energy Secretary Rick Perry Rick PerryEnergy secretary questions consensus that humans cause climate change OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Democrats push resolution to battle climate change, sluggish economy and racial injustice | Senators reach compromise on greenhouse gas amendment stalling energy bill | Trump courts Florida voters with offshore drilling moratorium OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump signs major conservation bill into law | Senate votes to confirm Energy's No.  2 official | Trump Jr. expresses opposition to Pebble Mine project MORE and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney Mick MulvaneyOn The Money: House panel pulls Powell into partisan battles | New York considers hiking taxes on the rich | Treasury: Trump's payroll tax deferral won't hurt Social Security Blockchain trade group names Mick Mulvaney to board Mick Mulvaney to start hedge fund MORE — have defied subpoenas compelling them to testify behind closed doors, but Democrats have shown little appetite to resolve the matter in court. 

After watching their Mueller and Russia probes get bogged down in never-ending court battles, Democrats appear to be moving on without testimony from those key witnesses rather than engage in another lengthy lawsuit against the administration. 

“We're not going to delay our work.  That would merely allow these witnesses and the White House to succeed with their goal, which is to delay, deny, obstruct,” Schiff recently said. 

If Democrats can stick to their aggressive timetable, they could be on track to reach the end of their impeachment inquiry in the days right before Christmas. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiDemocratic senator to party: 'A little message discipline wouldn't kill us' Overnight Health Care: New wave of COVID-19 cases builds in US | Florida to lift all coronavirus restrictions on restaurants, bars | Trump stirs questions with 0 drug coupon plan Overnight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds MORE (Calif.) and other Democrats insist that they’ll take as long as the process requires, but many hope it can be wrapped up before the presidential campaign begins in earnest with the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3. 

To speed things along, Democrats have indicated their witness list for the public hearings will be limited.  That means they will only bring in people who offered the most detailed or firsthand knowledge of events during earlier closed-door appearances. 

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“The Majority does not intend to request public testimony from every witness who previously testified in depositions or interviews as part of the impeachment inquiry,” Schiff wrote in a letter to Rep. Devin Nunes Devin Gerald NunesOvernight Defense: Stopgap spending measure awaits Senate vote | Trump nominates former Nunes aide for intelligence community watchdog | Trump extends ban on racial discrimination training to contractors, military Trump nominates former Nunes aide to serve as intel community inspector general Sunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election MORE (Calif.), the top Republican on the Intelligence panel, offering the opportunity for the minority to request public witnesses.  Democrats have veto power over any GOP requests. 

The public hearings will start with a bang on Wednesday when Democrats call William Taylor, the acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who testified it was his “clear understanding” that the administration was withholding nearly $400 million in military aid until Kiev opened investigations into Trump’s political opponents, including former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenFormer Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No.  1 Supreme Court pick Bloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida MORE. 

George Kent, another top State Department official, also will appear before Congress that day. 

Then on Friday, Marie Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine who was recalled from her post due to perceived insufficient loyalty to Trump, will go before the cameras. 

“Giuliani and his team were running a shadow operation of U.S. foreign policy.  The real public servants of America were trying to dislodge corruption, and Giuliani and his team were trying to exploit corruption and deepen corruption,” Rep. Jamie Raskin Jamin (Jamie) Ben RaskinOVERNIGHT ENERGY: House passes sweeping clean energy bill | Pebble Mine CEO resigns over secretly recorded comments about government officials | Corporations roll out climate goals amid growing pressure to deliver On The Money: House panel pulls Powell into partisan battles | New York considers hiking taxes on the rich | Treasury: Trump's payroll tax deferral won't hurt Social Security House panel pulls Powell into partisan battles over pandemic MORE (D-Md.), a member of the Oversight and Judiciary committees who has been attending the private depositions, told The Hill. 

“The Ukraine shakedown was not some kind of aberration but rather the expression of the complete policy on the part of the president,” Raskin added. “ The goal of public hearings is to situate the president’s potential high crimes and misdemeanors within a comprehensible history.” 

Those three hearings will be followed by second week of public testimony before Congress adjourns for a weeklong break for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Two National Security Council staffers, Fiona Hill and Lt.  Col.  Alexander Vindman, are among those who could be called to testify then. 

Sometime in early December, Schiff — along with the chairs of other two investigating committees — is expected to forward a report and recommendations for articles of impeachment to Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler Jerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerDemocrats shoot down talk of expanding Supreme Court Schumer: 'Nothing is off the table' if GOP moves forward with Ginsburg replacement Top Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence MORE (D-N.Y.), who is in charge of the third phase of impeachment.  The veteran lawmaker will be tasked with figuring out which articles get sent to the House floor for a vote. 

Nadler also could hold public hearings, where the president and his counsel could be present, though it remains unclear whether the Judiciary panel plans to take those steps. 

“It depends on, does the president or minority want to call witnesses who haven't been fact witnesses, who haven't been testified already.  I don't know that. …  We'll have to see,” Nadler said on MSNBC’s “All in with Chris Hayes.” 

From there, the 41-member Judiciary Committee would draft articles of impeachment — likely focusing on things like abuse of power and obstruction of justice — and vote to send them to the House floor.  Only then would all House lawmakers be able to vote on impeachment, potentially the week before Christmas. 

From there the impeachment process would move over to the Senate, which under current rules would be required to conduct a trial that could take weeks to complete.  Both parties have a political incentive for an expeditious trial that could arrive as soon as January: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellDemocratic senator to party: 'A little message discipline wouldn't kill us' House to vote on resolution affirming peaceful transition of power Republican lawyers brush off Trump's election comments MORE (R-Ky.) wants to quickly acquit Trump so Republicans can shift to other priorities like confirming judges; Democrats don’t want their 2020 presidential hopefuls, like Sens.  Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOvernight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds On The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump's 0 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package Warren, Khanna request IG investigation into Pentagon's use of coronavirus funds MORE (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSirota reacts to report of harassment, doxing by Harris supporters Republicans not immune to the malady that hobbled Democrats The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Republicans lawmakers rebuke Trump on election MORE (I-Vt.)  and Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisTexas Democratic official urges Biden to visit state: 'I thought he had his own plane' The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden on Trump: 'He'll leave' l GOP laywers brush off Trump's election remarks l Obama's endorsements A game theorist's advice to President Trump on filling the Supreme Court seat MORE (D-Calif.), to get stuck in a lengthy, inside-the-Beltway impeachment trial. 

One possible complication to the emerging timeline is the fact that lawmakers also need to figure out how to avoid another government shutdown amid the partisan acrimony. 

Government funding expires on Nov. 21.  But given the lack of progress on appropriations — despite a bipartisan budget deal struck in late July — congressional leaders are eyeing another stopgap measure to extend funding to sometime in December. 

That means the House could be faced with an impeachment vote just as the threat of another holiday-season shutdown looms. 

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Steny Hamilton HoyerHouse to vote on resolution affirming peaceful transition of power On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline Vulnerable Democrats tell Pelosi COVID-19 compromise 'essential' MORE (D-Md.) said in a letter to colleagues on Friday that he is “hopeful” lawmakers can fully fund the government before year’s end, even amid the impeachment fight. 

“The House is continuing to do important work for the people, even as our committees continue the impeachment inquiry.  We can, and we will, continue to make progress on critical issues while upholding our Constitutional duty,” Hoyer wrote.