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Impeachment appears politically risky for Democrats for many reasons, not least of which is that even if the House could get a majority to support impeachment, it likely would go nowhere in the Republican-controlled Senate. That said, that calculation is not stopping some Democrats from pushing for the maneuver, particularly following a series of efforts by Trump and his White House not to comply with the requests of the House investigations.
While there are varying degrees of how far critics of the President are willing to push the process, one relatively basic litmus test is whether lawmakers would support starting an impeachment inquiry, the first significant step in the process.
Of the 235 Democrats in the House, there are at least 88 — according to a CNN count — who’ve made public comments advocating at least for starting the impeachment inquiry process, while some have gone further.
House Democrats who have publicly stated they at least support starting an impeachment inquiry:
1. Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island
In advance of former White House counsel Don McGahn declining to show up for the House Judiciary Committee in May, Cicilline said the “time has come” for an impeachment inquiry.
“The White House and the President have attempted to impede our ability to get to the truth … we have a responsibility at some point to open up an inquiry if this kind of obstruction, interference and stonewalling continues,” Cicilline told reporters.
2. Rep. Ted Lieu of California
Lieu spoke on CNN in May and said that while he didn’t support full impeachment, he was among those Democrats supporting starting an impeachment inquiry.
“Let me just be very clear,” Lieu told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “Democrats are not saying impeachment. What I’m saying and what some others are saying is an impeachment inquiry, which is, we have to start these investigations to see if we should do impeachment.”
When Blitzer followed to clarify if Lieu supported “beginning impeachment procedures” but not full impeachment, Lieu responded “That is correct. Because we need to build a record in these committees.”
3. Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington
4. Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas
Escobar was among lawmakers who pushed in May for Pelosi and Nadler to take a more aggressive stance than they’re currently taking and start an impeachment inquiry.
5. Rep. Val Demings of Florida
Demings told CNN last month that the evidence contained in the Mueller report was sufficient for Democrats to take the next, fateful step.
“I believe it’s pretty clear that the President made numerous attempts to obstruct justice or obstructed justice,” Demings, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead.”
“And so I believe, based on that information, as I did a month ago, that we have enough to begin those proceedings.”
6. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas
Jackson Lee, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, told reporters in May that she planned to introduce “a resolution of investigation” that will call on the House Judiciary Committee to investigate whether there is “sufficient grounds” to move forward with impeachment.
7. Rep. John Yarmuth of Kentucky
Yarmuth, who is chairman of the House Budget Committee, told reporters in May, “I think it’s time” to begin the proceedings. On CNN, he said he’s not alone.
8. Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee
Cohen, who is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, has long been a proponent of impeachment and introduced articles of impeachment against Trump in November 2017.
9. Rep. Al Green of Texas
Green was the first House Democrat to formally seek Trump’s impeachment from the House floor in comments he made in May 2017.
10. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York
In a series of tweets, Ocasio-Cortez said that she will be signing on to an impeachment resolution led by fellow freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, following the release of the special counsel Robert Mueller’s report in April.
11. Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas
Castro, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN in May that it’s time to begin an impeachment inquiry immediately given the White House stonewalling of Congress’ oversight.
12. Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia
Beyer announced in May his support for starting an impeachment inquiry in a statement.
“The time has come for the House of Representatives to open an impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Trump,” Beyer said. “Endorsing such a course is not easy, and I do not do so lightly, but I believe that the President has left Congress no other option but to pursue it.
13. Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado
14. Rep. Jackie Speier of California
“I believe that an inquiry into impeachment is required at this time,” Speier said.
15. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland
Raskin, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, was among the Democrats who asked Pelosi at a meeting in May about pursuing an impeachment inquiry.
Raskin told CNN the following day, “I would totally support opening an impeachment inquiry at this point.”
16. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania
17. Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado
“The Mueller report details many instances in which President Trump actively attempted to interfere with the investigation into his campaign’s potentially treasonous ties with Russia,” she stated. “The President’s actions are clearly beneath the high personal, ethical and legal standards our founders envisioned in the executive branch, and, as such, constitute a prima facie case to trigger an impeachment investigation.”
18. Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin
Pocan released a statement supporting starting an impeachment inquiry in May.
“Stonewalling Congress on witnesses and the unredacted Mueller report only enhances the President’s appearance of guilt, and as a result, he has pushed Congress to a point where we must start an impeachment inquiry,” Pocan said.
19. Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon
“The Mueller investigation was limited in its capacity to take action and draw conclusions due to Justice Department guidelines,” he wrote. “Yet, it was a treasure trove of information that deserves further investigation, which should be done in the House—the only chamber willing to hold this president accountable. For that reason, I am joining Congresswoman Tlaib in calling for the Judiciary Committee to carry out a formal investigation regarding potential impeachable offenses by Donald Trump.”
20. Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania
Dean, a member of the Judiciary Committee, told CNN in an interview in May that she supported starting an impeachment inquiry.
“We can’t just constantly put out lawful subpoena, try to do our constitutional oversight, be stonewalled by an administration that’s just simply trying to cover up bad behaviors, and not change course,” Dean said. “And so what we’ve been trying to do is investigative oversight. I believe at the point you have Barr fail to come forward and produce documents, you have McGahn fail to produce documents and come forward, enough’s enough. It’s time to begin an investigation, an inquiry, as to impeachment.”
21. Rep. Dwight Evans of Pennsylvania
“After being in Congress for over a year and observing President Trump’s questionable actions I strongly believe there should at least be a discussion about whether or not President Trump’s actions met the bar of impeachment,” Evans stated.
In February 2018, Evans was co-host of an event on the “Party to Impeach” tour with billionaire Tom Steyer, who has long publicly advocated impeaching Trump.
22. Rep. Jared Huffman of California
“Impeachment is an extraordinary measure, but it should be clear to anyone who examines the facts that President Trump’s actions justify his impeachment, including his efforts to obstruct justice, his self-enrichment and serial violations of the Emoluments Clause, and his involvement in a cover-up stemming from his campaign’s very likely collusion with Russian interests to undermine the 2016 presidential election,” Huffman said in a statement at the time.
23. Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts
Moulton, who is running for the Democratic nomination for president, said earlier this year that he supported moving forward with impeachment proceedings.
“I voted on this a over a year ago, and I said that proceedings should move forward,” he told reporters at a campaign stop on April 23 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Moulton was careful to note “it’s not the right time to vote on impeachment, because we don’t have all the facts in, we don’t even have the full version of the Mueller report, but we absolutely should move forward on the proceedings, so we can have this debate in Congress, and frankly I think it’s long overdue.”
24. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota
Omar has called for some form of impeachment proceedings against Trump since before she was sworn in to Congress in January.
More recently she’s signed petitions to start impeachment proceedings, as well as signing on to Tlaib’s impeachment resolution in April.
25. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts
Pressley was among those lawmakers who signed on to Tlaib’s impeachment resolution following the release of the redacted Mueller report.
26. Rep. Kathleen Rice of New York
Rice tweeted in April that Congress should start impeachment proceedings.
27. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan
28. Rep. Filemon Vela of Texas
Vela tweeted in August 2018 that “we must impeach crooked Donnie,” following news of a guilty verdict for Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
Vela also signed on to Tlaib’s impeachment resolution on April 30.
29. Rep. Maxine Waters of California
Waters, the chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, has long called for starting the process of impeachment for the President.
30. Rep. Brad Sherman of California
Sherman was among the earliest advocates for impeachment, signing on to a resolution with Green in July 2017.
31. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon
“I am gravely concerned about the actions of President Trump and the growing evidence of possible impeachable offenses, including obstruction of justice, committing human rights violations by separating children from their families, and profiting from the presidency,” Bonamici said in the statement. “I’ve said before that impeachment should be an option, but we must approach it deliberately. The time has come.”
32. Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio
“In the nearly 300 days since he was sworn in, it has become evident that President Trump is a clear and present danger to our democracy. It is high time that Congress take a serious look at the President’s actions,” Fudge said in a statement from Cohen’s office. “If those actions are found to be in violation of the Constitution, then the Congress of the United States needs to do the job the American people elected us to do.”
33. Rep. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin
34. Rep. Norma Torres of California
In a story headlined “How the Mueller report convinced this House Democrat that Trump should be impeached,” Torres said that Congress and Trump are at a “stalemate” and not able to focus on the issues.
“This president took an oath of office to uphold the Constitution, and he’s violated that,” Torres told the Post. “He’s violated the spirit of the law. We need to hold him accountable.”
35. Rep. Juan Vargas of California
36. Rep. Danny Davis of Illinois
37. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi
38. Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts
39. Rep. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey
“Nobody knows what the political impact will be, and therefore it is a risk. But when in doubt, it’s probably best to do the right thing.”
40. Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York
Espaillat explained to CNN’s Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto why he favors impeachment, saying he felt the threshold for impeachment was met “some time” ago over the emoluments issue.
“We must, as duly elected members of Congress, exercise our duties entrusted by the Constitution of the United States,” he said in late May, the day after Mueller’s public remarks.
41. Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania
In an interview in May with CNN’s Kate Bolduan, Boyle said he’s ready to start holding impeachment hearings.
“Given that the special counsel is now officially concluded and is now resigning, I believe that the ball is clearly in our court,” he said. “I’ve called not for a rush to vote on impeachment but the official beginning of impeachment hearings, so that way we can go through what’s in the report. We can further investigate where the report didn’t go.”
42. Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona
Stanton, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement in May: “It is time for the House of Representatives to move to the next stages of holding the President accountable, including the extraordinary step of opening an impeachment inquiry.”
Stanton said, “This is a conclusion I reached only recently, and not one I reached lightly.”
43. Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois
“I notified the speaker’s office today … now asking that we open an inquiry,” he said.
44. Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota
In an interview in May with CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront,” McCollum explained why she is in favor of impeachment.
“We have every right to get to the truth because the President is not above the law, so we need to be able to do our work,” McCollum said, adding, “That is why many of us are saying that we have to look at impeachment because (Trump) has snubbed his nose at Congress being able to do its job to the regular subpoena power.”
45. Rep. G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina
46. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier of California
47. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona
48. Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana
Richmond, a member of the House Judiciary Committee and a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, supports starting an impeachment inquiry, the lawmaker’s congressional office confirmed to CNN in May.
49. Rep. Alan Lowenthal of California
50. Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois
Rush believes that Trump should be impeached, his office told CNN in May.
“Congress has a responsibility to protect the Constitutional foundation of our government with respect for the laws of this great nation. We must not forget that no one is above the law. Otherwise, we are destined to be a nation of well-intentioned individuals instead of law-abiding citizens,” Rush said in a statement.
51. Rep. Barbara Lee of California
Lee is a cosponsor of Tlaib’s impeachment inquiry resolution.
52. Rep. Alma Adams of North Carolina
53. Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York
54. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio
Ryan, who’s running for the Democratic presidential nomination, said at a CNN town hall in early June that it was time “to move forward with the impeachment process.”
“I have read the Mueller Report, and I believe he obstructed on multiple occasions,” he added. “We have a responsibility. I don’t want to, I know what this is going to do to the country. I take no joy in this at all. But I have a duty and a responsibility and that duty and responsibility has led me to think that we have to do this.”
55. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine
56. Rep. Nanette Barragán of California
Barragán said in a statement in June: “Robert Mueller made clear that he did not exonerate the President and it is up to Congress to hold the President accountable through oversight and impeachment. Given the Special Counsel’s report, his statement last week and the President’s ongoing efforts to block any oversight and investigation by Congress, I support an impeachment inquiry. No one is above the law and Congress has a constitutional duty to act.”
57. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas
Doggett’s office confirmed in a June 3 statement from the lawmaker to CNN that the Texas Democrat supports starting an impeachment inquiry.
“What Mueller thought he could not do, Congress can no longer avoid,” Doggett said in the statement.
58. Rep. Paul Tonko of New York
On June 3, Tonko sent a series of tweets explaining why he supported starting an impeachment inquiry.
59. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García of Illinois
García’s office released a statement in late May announcing his support for starting an impeachment inquiry.
“After careful deliberation, I have concluded that the House of Representatives must begin a formal impeachment inquiry to fulfill our constitutionally mandated responsibility to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” García said.
60. Rep. Brenda Lawrence of Michigan
“You know, we’ve been talking about impeachment. Few people understand that if we impeach him — and I feel that we should begin that process — if we impeach him, he still is sitting in the White House because the Senate has to act,” Lawrence said.
61. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California
Swalwell, who is among the Democratic House members running for president, called for an impeachment inquiry to be opened on June 13, following comments Trump made about being willing to accept damaging information on a political opponent from a foreign actor and not report it to the FBI.
“Impeachment is the most extraordinary remedy the Constitution affords Congress,” Swalwell told reporters. “As a former prosecutor, I do not take this lightly. But the President continues to put his own interests above America’s. He is lawless. His relentless attacks on our rule of law and numerous efforts to obstruct justice and Congress have reached such a point to require extraordinary action. It’s time for Congress to open an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.”
62. Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan
Kildee, who is chief deputy whip of the House Democratic Caucus, said on June 14 that actions described in the Mueller report and the administration’s stonewalling of congressional oversight have led him to “no other choice.”
“I have been reluctant to use the tool of impeachment, and have always viewed impeachment as a tool of last resort,” Kildee said in a statement. “But the President’s actions have taken us to a moment where I believe Congress must open an impeachment inquiry to defend the rule of law.”
63. Rep. Andy Levin of Michigan
“After weeks of study, deliberation and conversations with Orange County families, I’ve decided to support an impeachment investigation of the President,” Porter said in the video.
65. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York
“After carefully reviewing evidence laid out in the Mueller Report, after attending numerous hearings, after listening to the concerns of my constituents, and after doing as much soul-searching as I’ve ever done in my life – it is my inescapable conclusion that the House of Representatives must open an impeachment inquiry against the President of the United States.”
66. Rep. Grace Napolitano of California
67. Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois
“My office has been getting a lot of calls about impeachment,” she wrote. “I support @HouseDemocrats’ efforts to continue investigations (up to AND including impeachment) while we continue working to enact our bold #ForThePeople agenda.”
68. Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio
“Special Counsel Robert Mueller made crystal clear that Trump was not exonerated — in fact his report concluded the exact opposite,” she wrote. “That is why I support Congress continuing to use our oversight and investigative tools to get to the bottom of any wrongdoing. I ultimately believe this process will lead to an impeachment inquiry, which I would support for the people and to keep America great.”
69. Rep. Brian Higgins of New York
In June, Higgins called for an impeachment inquiry to begin.
“Obstruction of justice is an impeachable offense. The multiple instances of obstruction laid out in the Mueller report necessitate that the House launch an impeachment inquiry,” he said in a statement.
70. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois
In June, Schakowsky called for the House to begin an impeachment inquiry into the President.
“Today, I am announcing that I believe that the House of Representatives should begin an impeachment inquiry, officially, because President Trump certainly has committed all kinds of offenses that meet the standard of impeachment — high crimes and misdemeanors,” she said in a video posted to Twitter.
71. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington
Smith told CNN in June that he supported starting an impeachment inquiry.
“I’ve called for an impeachment inquiry basically,” Smith told CNN’s Manu Raju. “Look at all the issues raised by the Mueller report: obstruction and even I know he says it’s not there but connections between Trump campaign officials and Russian interference.”
72. Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois
Casten tweeted in June that he supported starting an impeachment inquiry.
73. Rep. Nydia Velázquez of New York
“As the first Member of Congress to call for a Special Counsel, I’ve been carefully reviewing the Mueller report and listening to my constituents. I have now come to the conclusion that the House has a constitutional responsibility to begin an impeachment inquiry,” she tweeted.
74. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell of Florida
“This President has engaged in behavior that we have not seen, nor would we have allowed, from the other 44 men who have occupied that office,” she said in her statement. “This is why I support opening an impeachment inquiry into the President.”
75. Rep. Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania
“Congress has the authority to subpoena any information necessary to carry out its oversight responsibilities,” Doyle wrote. “But the Administration refuses to comply with subpoenas and continues to prevent witnesses from testifying. I believe that it’s time to initiate an #Impeachment inquiry.”
76. Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut
Himes, a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, called for the start of an impeachment inquiry in June.
“During my career, I have learned that there are moments for calculation, prudence, compromise and the careful weighing of competing interests. And there are moments for clarity and conviction. This is such a moment,” he said in a statement. “The time has come for the House of Representatives to begin an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.”
77. Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California
More recently, Gomez posted to his social media pages in May 2019 that he would like for Congress to start the process.
78. Rep. Tony Cárdenas of California
Cárdenas announced in June his support for starting an impeachment inquiry.
79. Rep. William Lacy Clay of Missouri
80. Rep. Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts
“I believe it is time for the House to begin impeachment proceedings against the President. This is not a decision I made lightly, nor is it one to celebrate,” Kennedy wrote in the statement. “The Mueller report makes painfully clear that our President obstructed justice on multiple occasions. If we fail to hold him to account, we fail the American public and the democratic system we represent in their name.”
81. Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona
Gallego announced his position in a House floor speech on July 11.
“As a Marine and as a member of Congress, I swore to protect the Constitution, and I will not stand by as Donald Trump erodes the rule of law and our democracy,” Gallego said. “It’s time for Congress to launch an impeachment investigation against President Trump.”
82. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey
Watson Coleman tweeted her announcement on July 11.
“The President has shown a disregard not only for Congress’s oversight powers, but disregard for the rulings of the Supreme Court,” she tweeted. “I promised to fight for my constituents and that’s why I’m calling for an #ImpeachmentInquiryNow. Keep speaking up, keep standing up, keep showing up.”
83. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona
“Now we have no choice but to open an impeachment inquiry,” Kirkpatrick said in a House floor speech in July. “This should not be a partisan fight or a debate about election strategy. It’s about the rule of law. I know impeachment is risky, but allowing this President to defy the law is even more risky. If we don’t act now, our democracy may be threatened for years to come.”
84. Rep. Donald Norcross of New Jersey
“I remain in favor of the impeachment process,” Norcross tweeted in June. “The future of our country is at stake. No one is above the law.”
85. Rep. Harley Rouda of California
A spokesperson for the congressman confirmed to CNN in July that Rouda supported an impeachment inquiry. Spokesman Zach Helder said that Rouda has “stated that if the White House did not show a good faith effort to comply with Congressional subpoenas by July 1, than he would support an effort to open an impeachment inquiry on that basis were it to be considered by the House.”
86. Rep. Scott Peters of California
“And now we are assigned another solemn task by the Constitution and by current events,” he wrote. “We need to begin impeachment hearings.”
87. Rep. Peter Welch of Vermont
“His presidency has wrought an unprecedented and unrelenting assault on the pillars and the guardrails of our democracy, including the rule of law on which the country was founded,” Welch wrote in his statement.
88. Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey
Pascrell released a statement on July 18 saying “the sitting President has disgraced his office and our nation beyond measure.”
“It is only Congress that can finally hold him to account,” he said in his statement. “We must do this by commencing impeachment hearings of the President.”
CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to reflect Raul Grijalva is a US representative of Arizona. A previous version of this story also incorrectly counted and listed a Democratic member twice. This story will continue to update with additional developments.
CNN’s Ashley Killough, Alex Rogers, Sunlen Serfaty, Jeremy Herb, Manu Raju, Lauren Fox, Clare Foran, Eli Watkins, Veronica Stracqualursi, Kate Sullivan, Devan Cole, Ana Cabrera, Paola Chavez, Faris Bseiso and Jamie Ehrlich contributed to this report.
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