Impeachment appears politically risky for Democrats for many reasons, not least of which the fact that even if the House could get a majority to support impeachment, it likely would go no where in the Republican-controlled Senate. That said, that calculation is not stopping some Democrats this week from pushing for the maneuver, particularly following a series of efforts by Trump and his White House not to comply 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 the starting of an impeachment inquiry, the first significant step in the impeachment process.
By CNN's count, there are at least 35 House Democrats who've made public comments advocating at least for starting the impeachment inquiry process -- while some have gone further.
House Democrats who have publicly state 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 on Tuesday, Cicilline said on Monday that 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 Wednesday and said 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
Jayapal spoke on CNN on Tuesday and tweeted, "I joined @wolfblitzer to discuss how @HouseJudiciary will hold this President and his administration accountable. Judge Mehta's decision was important - but we still have to do our jobs and uphold the Constitution. For me, that means pursuing an impeachment inquiry."
4. Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas
Escobar was among lawmakers who pushed earlier this week for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler to take a more aggressive stance than their currently taking and start an impeachment inquiry.
On Tuesday, she also tweeted, "I believe we need to begin an impeachment inquiry."
5. Rep. Val Demings of Florida
Demings told CNN on Tuesday 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," said Demings, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, told 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 on Tuesday 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 on Tuesday, "I think it's time" to begin the proceedings. On CNN Wednesday, he said he's not alone.
"I think what we have, John, is we have a situation in which I think a growing majority of our caucus believes that impeachment is going to be inevitable," Yarmuth told CNN's John Berman on "New Day" on Wednesday morning. "But they also believe that we need to pursue the investigations that are going on to make sure that certain conduct of the administration and the President that they need to be held accountable for is discovered."
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.
"The time has come to make clear to the American people and to this President that his train of injuries to our Constitution must be brought to an end through impeachment," Cohen said in a statement at the time. "I believe there is evidence that he attempted to obstruct an investigation into Russia's interference with the U.S. presidential election and links between between Russia and the Trump campaign, most notably the firing of FBI Director James Comey. "
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.
"This is about my position. This is about what I believe. And this is where I stand. I will not be moved. The President must be impeached," Green said at the time. "For those who do not know, impeachment does not mean that the President would be found guilty. It simply means that the House of Representatives will bring charges against the President. It's similar to an indictment but not quite the same thing."
10. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York
In a series of tweets, Ocasio-Cortez said that she will be signing onto an impeachment resolution led by fellow House freshman, Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, following the release of the special counsel Robert Mueller's report last month.
"Mueller's report is clear in pointing to Congress' responsibility in investigating obstruction of justice by the President. It is our job as outlined in Article 1, Sec 2, Clause 5 of the US Constitution. As such, I'll be signing onto @RashidaTlaib's impeachment resolution," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on April 18.
11. Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas
Castro, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN on Tuesday 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 his support for starting an impeachment inquiry in a statement Tuesday.
"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
Neguse tweeted Tuesday "The findings detailed in the Special Counsel's report, and the Administration's pattern of wholesale obstruction of Congress since the report's release, make clear that it is time to open an impeachment inquiry."
14. Rep. Jackie Speier of California
Speier told CNN's "New Day" on Tuesday that she supported starting the impeachment inquiry process.
"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 Monday 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
Scanlon, a member of the Judiciary Committee, tweeted Tuesday that she supported an impeachment inquiry after a text message conversation with her son.
17. Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado
DeGette released a statement backing an impeachment investigation in April.
"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 on Tuesday.
"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
Blumenauer released a statement earlier this month backing the start of an impeachment inquiry.
"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 reporters Tuesday that she supported starting an impeachment inquiry.
"I believe we are going to be left with — and probably right now are left with — nothing but that we must open an inquiry," Dean said.
21. Rep. Dwight Evans of Pennsylvania
Evans has long openly supported steps toward impeachment since Trump's first year he was in office. In December 2017, he released a statement explaining his vote to not to table a House resolution calling for impeachment.
"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.
"The President is not above the Constitution," Evans told Philly magazine at the time. "He needs to be held accountable. My constituents have raised serious concerns about the President's actions."
22. Rep. Jared Huffman of California
Huffman signed on to efforts to start impeachment proceedings in December 2017.
"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 last month 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.
"We know that this President, this administration every day has gone a little bit closer to being impeached. ... We won't be having these conversations on whether to do it, but it's going to be when and how," Omar told CNN in December.
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.
"That resolution will come before a vote before the Congress and it asks that, dependent on that vote, that we follow up procedurally in committee," Pressley told Boston Public Radio on April 19. "I mean here's the thing — I have felt for a long time that this administration has lost all moral authority and there are many impeachable offenses."
26. Rep. Kathleen Rice of New York
Rice tweeted Tuesday that Congress should start impeachment proceedings.
"For over two years the President has systematically dismantled our democracy and defied the rule of law. This cannot stand," she tweeted. "Congress has a moral obligation to put our politics aside and take action. We need to start impeachment proceedings."
27. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan
On the night of her swearing in in Congress, Tlaib made headlines where she told a crowd "we're going to impeach the motherf****r." She's since authored her own resolution to start impeachment proceedings.
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.
"When are the people of this country going to wake up to the fact that this president is a disgusting liar, documented to have lied over 8,000 times in 2 yrs? Add to that his recent, blatant lies on our nation's intel chiefs' testimony in the US Senate. Past time for impeachment!" she tweeted in January.
30. Rep. Brad Sherman of California
Sherman was among the earliest advocates for impeachment, signing on to a resolution with Green in July 2017.
"Recent disclosures by Donald Trump Jr. indicate that Trump's campaign was eager to receive assistance from Russia," Sherman said in a statement at the time. "It now seems likely that the President had something to hide when he tried to curtail the investigation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and the wider Russian probe. I believe his conversations with, and subsequent firing of, FBI Director James Comey constitute Obstruction of Justice."
31. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon
Bonamici released a statement Wednesday supporting the start of an impeachment inquiry.
"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
Fudge has long been a supporter of starting impeachment proceedings against Trump. In November 2017, she joined Cohen's introduction of articles of impeachment.
"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
Moore has long said she supports starting impeachment proceedings, telling local reporters in her home district in August 2017, "Yeah, I think so. I think I'm there," when asked by WISN-12 if she wanted to see Trump impeached.
She also tweeted in August 2017, "My Republican friends, I implore you to work w/ us within our capacity as elected officials to remove @realDonaldTrump as #POTUS. #Impeach45".
More recently, she tweeted in February that Trump declaring a national emergency to start construction on a border wall would be "grounds for impeachment," a step Trump later took.
34. Rep. Norma Torres of California
Torres told The Washington Post in April, that "I think there is enough evidence in front of us to move forward" on impeachment proceedings and that "if it came up for a vote today, I would vote to impeach this president."
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
Vargas told the NBC affiliate in San Diego last month that "the reality is he broke the law and he should be impeached."
This story will be updated with additional developments.
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