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Voting along party lines Wednesday morning, the committee said Rove broke the law by failing to appear at a July 10 hearing on allegations of White House influence over the Justice Department, including whether Rove encouraged prosecutions against Democrats.

The committee decision is a recommendation. It remains unclear whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will allow a final vote.

Rove has denied any involvement with Justice Department decisions, and the White House has said Congress has no authority to compel testimony from current and former advisers.

Yesterday afternoon, a coalition of groups including CREDO Mobile, People For the American Way, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, The Nation, Campaign for America’s Future, and Progress Now, delivered a petition calling for Rove’s contempt to Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA).

“I think it’s ridiculous that Karl Rove thinks that he doesn’t have to follow the law,” Sanchez said in a release. “Nobody in this country should be above the law.”

Excerpts from the markup memo of the resolution sent to reporters follows. Rove was overseas at the time of the hearing and alleged that the trip had been planned in advance.