A majority of House Democrats now favor impeaching President Donald Trump, increasing pressure on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to kick start the proceedings.
Salud Carbajal, a second-term California Congressman, flipped Friday to supporting impeachment, becoming the 188th to do so – meaning a majority of the 235-strong Democratic caucus are now in favor of putting the president on trial.
The Speaker has not publicly said the number it would take to move her stance on the issue, instead repeatedly arguing Democrats need the ‘strongest case’ possible to go forward.
She released a statement on Friday about the investigations the House Democrats are working on against the president, including a detailed outline of where each of the six committees stand in their probes.
But she made no mention of impeachment.
Strike him out: Salud Carbajal (right) wants Trump impeached – flipping the House Democratic caucus so that a majority of House Democrats now want Nancy Pelosi to put Trump on trial. The two were seen in June when the Democrats beat the Republicans in the Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park
Most House Democrats want to start impeachment proceedings against President Trump
She merely said ‘Democrats in the Congress continue to legislate, investigate and litigate.’
‘In America, no one is above the law. The President will be held accountable,’ she vowed without offering further details on her thoughts.
After former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony, more and more Democrats joined the call with a majority now in favor, according to a count by CNN.
On top of the 118 Democratic lawmakers who support the effort, so too does Representative Justin Amash, the Republican turned Independent.
Additionally, the list includes some of the more vulnerable Democratic lawmakers – those that flipped Republican seats in the last election, including Debbie Mucarsel-Powell of Florida, Jennifer Wexton of Virginia, Sean Casten of Illinois, and Katie Porter of California.
Since Mueller testified before the House Judiciary Committee earlier this month, 24 lawmakers have called for impeachment proceedings to begin.
And half of the House chairmen conducting investigations into Trump, his businesses and his administration now support impeach proceedings.
Representative Maxine Waters, chair of the House Financial Services Committee, supports and House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler privately pushes it.
Representative Eliot Engel, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, became the third this week to back it.
‘The president’s repeated abuses have brought American democracy to a perilous crossroads,’ he said in a statement. ‘Following the guidance of the Constitution — which I have sworn to uphold — is the only way to achieve justice.’
Additionally Representative Nita Lowey, the powerful chair of the House Appropriations Committee, called for the impeachment process to begin.
Both Engel and Lowey faces primary challenges from the left in next year’s election.
There are six House committees investigating Trump – a face Pelosi has used to try and calm the impeachment fires in her caucus.
Pelosi recently said she’s not trying to run out the clock on impeachment.
‘I’m not trying to run out the clock,’ she told reporters earlier this month, ‘We will proceed when we have what we need to proceed, not one day sooner.’
‘Everybody has the liberty and the luxury to espouse their own position and to criticize me for trying to go down the path in the most determined positive way. Again, their advocacy for impeachment only gives me leverage,’ she added.
Support among Democrats to begin impeachment grew after former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified before Congress
Compounding to the pressure are the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, most of whom publicly support impeaching the president.
Julian Castro made an impassioned argument for it during the second Democratic debate in Detroit this week.
‘If they don’t impeach him, he’s going to say, ‘The Democrats didn’t go after me on impeachment, and you know why? I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said.
‘Conversely, if Mitch McConnell lets him off, we’re going to say, sure. They impeached him in the House, his friend Mitch McConnell – ‘Moscow Mitch’ – let him off the hook,’ he added.