A Surprising Shift: Three-Quarters of House Dems Now Back Noem's Impeachment
In a surprising turn of events, the tide has shifted dramatically within the House Democratic Party, with an overwhelming majority now endorsing articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. This shift gained momentum after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) publicly endorsed the effort, sending shockwaves through the political landscape.
The Significance: The support from Jeffries and the subsequent surge in co-sponsors from the House Democratic Caucus have brought the total to over three-quarters of the caucus. This development is particularly notable given the initial hesitation and private arguments against forcing an impeachment vote.
Key Co-Sponsors:
- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas): One of the swing-district centrists who voted for DHS funding last week, causing frustration among party members.
- Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.): A battleground-district member who privately opposed forcing an impeachment vote but ultimately signed on.
- Reps. Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.), Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.), Eugene Vindman (D-Va.), and Steny Hoyer (D-Md.): Swing-district members and former House Majority Leader, respectively.
The Push for Impeachment:
- Jeffries and his leadership team, including Reps. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), issued a joint statement demanding immediate termination of Kristi Noem's position, threatening impeachment proceedings.
- House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) announced an investigation into Noem to gather evidence for an impeachment vote.
- Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), a key figure in the impeachment push, retains the power to initiate a vote unilaterally, though the timing remains uncertain.
Numbers Speak Volumes:
- As of Monday, 145 House Democrats were co-sponsors. By Tuesday afternoon, this number had risen to 162, indicating a rapid increase in support.
- Additional co-sponsors on Tuesday included 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.).
- Five more representatives, including 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' statement.
- Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also plans to support the impeachment articles.
The Challenge Ahead: Despite the growing Democratic support, the impeachment articles lack Republican backing, which is crucial for passage in the House.
- In the Republican-controlled Senate, where a two-thirds majority is required for conviction, substantial GOP support would be necessary.
- Former President Trump dismissed the impeachment efforts, stating he has no plans to fire Noem and mocking the Democrats' actions.
