Goodling, who served as a liaison between the White House and the Department of Justice, had indicated that she would invoke her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination if subpoenaed.

Conyers had pushed back the vote at the request of Rep. Lamar Smith (Texas), the ranking Republican on the panel.

The chairman said the extra time prior to the vote allowed committee members “to gain a little more familiarity and comfort with the immunity procedure and to speak informally with the Department of Justice.”

Conyers views Goodling as a potentially crucial witness and assured members that he does “not propose this step lightly,” adding, “If we learn something new in the course of our investigation that gives us pause, we can always stop the process before the court issues an order.”