Which House Democrats want Trump impeached
Published Date: 5/22/2019
Source: axios.com
House Democrats are increasingly calling for President Trump's impeachment with the tipping point for some being former White House counsel Don McGahn defying a subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.The state of play: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called a "special caucus meeting" for Wednesday that will address the issue of impeachment along with other oversight issues surrounding the administration, reports Roll Call.What they're saying:Rep. Maxine Waters (Calif.) was one of the first Democrats to call for the impeachment of Trump.Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) says it's "time to move forward" with impeachment proceedings.Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minn.) tweeted: "We must begin impeachment proceedings and investigate if the president committed impeachable offenses."Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) submitted an impeachment resolution to launch an investigation and has been very vocal against Trump.Rep. Seth Mouton (Mass.) said he supports an impeachment investigation.Rep. David Cicilline (R.I.) on Monday said:"Let me be clear; if Don McGahn doesn't testify, it is time to open an impeachment inquiry." He doubled down on that stance in a tweet after McGahn failed to show up.Rep. Mary Scanlon (Penn.): "No one is above the rule of law. The time has come to start an impeachment inquiry because the American people deserve to know the truth and to have the opportunity to judge the gravity of the evidence and charges leveled against the President."Rep. Joaquin Castro (Texas): "Obviously, all of us respect [Pelosi's] perspective and her opinion. But I think, individually, each of us have a perspective of our own. And I think it's time to start [impeachment]."Rep. Diana DeGette (Colo.): "The facts laid out in the Mueller report, coupled with this administration’s ongoing attempts to stonewall Congress, leave us no other choice: It is time for Congress to officially launch an impeachment inquiry against the President of the United States."Reps. Jamie Raskin (Md.) told the Washington Post that "the logic of an impeachment inquiry is pretty overwhelming at this point."Rep. Joe Neguse (Colo.) tweeted, "the findings detailed in the Special Counsel's report, and the Administration's pattern of wholesale obstruction of Congress since the report's release, make clear that it is time to open an impeachment inquiry."Rep. Don Beyer (Va.) told the Hill: "For me, the final two straws were Don McGahn refusing to appear and then Mnuchin writing us back saying he's not going to honor the subpoena on Trump's tax returns when the law is crystal clear."Rep. Earl Blumenauer (Ore.) has signed on to Tlaib's resolution to start impeachment proceedings against Trump.Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.) has introduced articles of impeachment during the last session of Congress.Rep. Val Demmings (Fla.) tweeted: "The facts laid out in the Mueller report, coupled with the administration's ongoing attempts to stonewall Congress, leave us no other choice: It is time for Congress to officially launch an impeachment inquiry against the President of the United States."Rep. Veronica Escobar (Tex.) tweeted: "I personally feel like we cannot tolerate this level of obstruction, that if we do, then we have lowered the bar to the point where any criminal can be president of the United States and that should be unacceptable to all of us. I believe we need to begin an impeachment inquiry."Rep. Dwight Evans (Penn.) tweeted: "The heavily redacted #MuellerReport reveals and details repeated disturbing conduct by the president, & it shouldn't go unnoticed -- an impeachment vote would begin the process and allow House Judiciary to have broader investigative availability, which is certainly unwarranted."Rep. Al Green (Tex.) has forced two House floor votes on impeachment already.Rep. Jared Huffman (Calif.) is a co-sponsor of the Tlaib's impeachment resolution.Rep. Mark Pocan (Wis.) tweeted: "Stonewalling Congress on witnesses and the unredacted Mueller report only enhances the President's appearance of guild, and as a result, he has pushed Congress to the point where we must start an impeachment inquiry."Rep. Ayanna Pressely (Mass.) is a co-sponsor of Tlaib's impeachment resolution.Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (Pa.) said: “No one is above the law. The time has come to start an impeachment inquiry because the American people deserve to know the truth and to have the opportunity to judge the gravity of the evidence and charges leveled against the president."Rep. Jackie Speier (Calif.) said: "I believe an inquiry into impeachment is required at this point in time."Rep. Filemon Vela (Tex.) has signed onto Tlaib's impeachment resolution.The other side: House Democratic Caucus chairman Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) and Reps. Ben Ray Lujan (N.M.), Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), and Cheri Bustos (Ill.) are warning Pelosi against impeachment.The bottom line: House Budget chairman John Yarmuth (Ky.) summed things up for House Democrats moving forward, per the Wall Street Journal, saying: "There's a growing realization in Congress that impeachment is inevitable. The majority view in the conference is we need to continue the investigations before we initiate an [impeachment] inquiry—that’s still the majority view."Go deeper: Pelosi accuses Trump of "goading" House Dems to impeachment