U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider on Thursday joined more than 100 other members of the House of Representatives in voicing support for an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
"After months of relentless stonewalling by the Trump administration, I believe it is necessary to elevate the various Congressional investigations of the President to a formal impeachment inquiry as the only way to ensure the American people have a comprehensive understanding of the facts uncovered by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and hold the President accountable for his actions," Schneider said in a statement.
He added that Mueller's more than 400-page report "made clear that then candidate Trump, and the Trump campaign, eagerly welcomed foreign interference in our election" and that Trump "subsequently acted on numerous occasions to block and obstruct the investigation into what occurred."
"These are serious charges that demand further investigation," Schneider continued, adding, "I previously believed that Congress’s oversight and investigative efforts—through hearings, subpoenas, and lawsuits—were the appropriate vehicle to uncover the truth. Regrettably, it is clear that the Administration has little regard for the Constitution, is unwilling to provide any information to Congress, and is seeking to play out the clock."
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler, a Democrat from New York, filed a lawsuit in federal court last month asking a judge to enforce congressional subpoenas for grand jury information and witness testimony from Mueller's investigation - a move that he has since publicly called "formal impeachment proceedings."
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has herself remained opposed to moving toward impeachment, a politically-risky move that would be poised to fail in the Senate, there requiring a two-thirds majority vote to convict.
Schneider - who represents Illinois' 10th District - joins 129 other members of the House in supporting an impeachment inquiry, according to NPR, now constituting a majority of the 235-person House Democratic Caucus.
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Earlier in the week, Rep. Lauren Underwood also publicly expressed her support for an impeachment investigation or inquiry, becoming just the second Democrat who represents a district Trump won in 2016 to publicly endorse one.
Schneider and Underwood join fellow Illinois Democrats Reps. Sean Casten, Jan Schakowsky, Bobby Rush, Robin Kelly, Danny Davis, Jesus "Chuy" Garcia and Mike Quigley in calling for or supporting an impeachment inquiry in some form.
