A growing number of Hill Democrats are calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to step aside or be impeached following the shooting of a Minneapolis man by DHS agents Saturday.
A House impeachment resolution targeting Noem now has 140 cosponsors, nearly two-thirds of the Democratic Caucus, according to a spokesperson for Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), who authored the legislation. Dozens signed on over the weekend, including after a private caucus call Sunday in which a number of House Democrats spoke out for impeachment.
Although impeaching President Donald Trump remains a highly divisive issue among Democrats, calling for Noem’s impeachment or resignation is fast becoming a mainstream position in the party.
On the cosponsor list for Kelly’s resolution are purple-district lawmakers such as Reps. Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) and Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), as well as members of the party leadership team including Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.).
Others in the party are calling for Noem’s removal without mentioning the prospect of impeachment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, for instance, declared in a Monday social media post that Noem “must be fired.”
In a statement provided first to POLITICO, 15 House Democrats who are veterans said Noem should resign.
“We call for an immediate stand down of ICE and CBP interior enforcement operations and demand the resignation of the Secretary of Homeland Security,” said the lawmakers, including California Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu, Salud Carbajal and Gil Cisneros. “Current leadership has failed to protect civil liberties, ensure accountability, or maintain the public trust.”
With Republicans in control of the House floor, it could be difficult for Democrats to force the issue anytime soon. Absent a GOP groundswell, Speaker Mike Johnson will be able to bottle up the measure indefinitely though Kelly could try to call up her impeachment legislation as a privileged matter, allowing it to bypass committees and move to a quick House vote.
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