House Democrats' support for articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem surged again Tuesday, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) effectively giving his blessing to the effort.
Why it matters: More than three-quarters of the House Democratic caucus is now co-sponsoring the measure, and the list of new signers as of Tuesday afternoon includes some surprising names.
- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), one of the seven swing-district centrists who infuriated their party last week by voting for a DHS funding bill, signed on as a co-sponsor.
- Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), who represents battleground-district members in leadership and privately argued against forcing a Noem impeachment vote, also signed on, as she announced she would on Monday.
- Several other swing-district members are also on the list of new co-sponsors — Reps. Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.), Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.) and Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) — as is former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).
Driving the news: After weeks of deflecting questions about whether he would throw in his support with the growing bloc of his members supporting Noem's impeachment, Jeffries finally weighed in on Tuesday.
- "Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives," he and his leadership deputies, Reps. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), said in a joint statement.
- House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said he and other Democratic committee leaders will launch an investigation into Noem to gather evidence in support of an impeachment vote.
- Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), a member of Jeffries' leadership team who is leading the impeachment push, can force a vote unilaterally but has not said if or when she may do so.
By the numbers: The number of impeachment co-sponsors stood at 145 House Democrats on Monday, but, by Tuesday afternoon, it had reached 162.
- In addition to the aforementioned names, Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) joined as co-sponsors on Tuesday.
- Five more — Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Bill Foster (D-Ill.) and Shomari Figures (D-Ala.) — signed on after Jeffries made his statement, Kelly's office said.
Yes, but: Despite the burgeoning support from Democrats, the impeachment articles lack any Republican backing.
- That will likely be necessary for impeachment to pass in the House, where Republicans hold a narrow majority.
- In the Republican-controlled Senate, where conviction requires a two-thirds majority, it would need substantial GOP support.
- Trump has said he has no plans to fire Noem and dismissed Democrats' impeachment efforts, saying on Fox News, "They'll find something. There will be something. I made the wrong turn at an exit and let's impeach him."
