Second Democrat representing Trump district backs impeachment

Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) on Tuesday announced support for an impeachment inquiry, becoming the second House Democrat representing a district carried by President Trump in 2016 to back the move.

Underwood pointed to recent comments from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) arguing that an impeachment inquiry is effectively already underway as the panel investigates whether to pursue articles of impeachment against Trump. 

{mosads}”The petition Chairman Nadler filed on July 26 clearly states that the Judiciary Committee is investigating whether to recommend Articles of Impeachment, essentially an impeachment inquiry. I support this investigation,” Underwood said in a statement.

“I have long stated that I support the impeachment-related investigation by Chairman Nadler and the others being pursued by 5 other committee chairs – the American people deserve all the facts and full transparency,” Underwood added. 

Of the 31 House Democrats who represent districts that Trump won in 2016, only Underwood and Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) have endorsed an impeachment inquiry to date.

A number of other Democrats in competitive districts have also come out in favor of an impeachment inquiry, but they represent districts carried by Hillary Clinton. Those lawmakers include Reps. Tom Malinowski (N.J.), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (Fla.), Katie Porter (Calif.), Harley Rouda (Calif.), Mike Levin (Calif.), Jennifer Wexton (Va.), Kim Schrier (Wash.) and Jason Crow (Colo.).

Underwood’s statement on Tuesday, which focused on support for an inquiry rather than a vote to actually impeach Trump, came after she told “Recode Decode with Kara Swisher” in an interview published earlier this month that she was reluctant to support impeachment. 

“In my community, there’s a large cohort of people that shut down when you say ‘Russia,’ that you can’t even get to investigation or impeachment, because it’s just noise to them,” Underwood said. 

Underwood told Recode she had not called for impeachment “because we need to move forward in a way that brings the community with us, because if I act unilaterally, or what’s perceived as unilaterally, and leave my community behind, then it looks like a power grab. And then I’m no better than him, being the president. And that’s not what we’re here for.”

A majority of the 235 House Democrats have endorsed an impeachment inquiry, according to The Hill’s whip list, despite Democratic leaders’ reluctance to back impeachment.