Undecided Democrat Rep. Susie Lee Says She'll Vote for Impeachment

Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) in a file photo. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

A previously undecided Democrat, Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), announced Friday she will support articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

Lee is one of a handful of Democrats whose districts Trump won in 2016. The House Judiciary Committee on Friday voted in favor of articles of impeachment along party lines.

“This is a grave decision that requires thorough and solemn deliberation,” Lee said in a statement. “After weighing all of the facts, I will be voting in support of impeachment of the President.”

She accused Trump of abusing his power in his dealings with Ukraine, which Trump has denied. Abuse of power and obstruction of Congress are the two articles of impeachment announced by House Democrats this week.

“I took an oath of office to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” Lee stated. “This is a solemn decision. I end with this: democracies live and die by the integrity of our elections.”

She added: “As I did before I voted to support an impeachment inquiry, I have carefully deliberated and comprehensively reviewed the facts presented by the respective committees, witnesses, and available evidence, as well as reviewed the Constitution and the Articles of Impeachment themselves.”

Lee is a first-term Democrat and won her seat in 2018. The Las Vegas Review-Journal noted that Trump narrowly carried her district during the last election.

A report from Axios stated that she was among six Democratic members of Congress who attended the White House Congressional Ball on Thursday night. Lee’s spokesperson told the website earlier in the day that she attended the event to show she’s willing to make bipartisan concessions.

This week, several other vulnerable Democratic members of Congress made their views known on how they would vote when the articles of impeachment reach the full House floor.

On Friday, Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.), whose district was carried by Trump in 2016, said Friday that he will vote in favor of the articles of impeachment, saying “a President coercing a foreign government into targeting American citizens is not just another example of scorched earth politics, it serves as an invitation to the enemies of the United States to come after any citizen, so long as they disagree with the president.”

Before, Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), who represents another swing district, lent his support for impeachment.

“After reviewing all of the evidence and witness testimony in this investigation, I believe that President Trump abused his power and obstructed Congress, and I will vote for both articles of impeachment,” Lamb said in a statement on Thursday.

During the Judiciary Committee’s hearing on Friday, Rep. Karen McBath (D-Ga.) voted “yea” on the articles of impeachment. Her district also favored Trump in 2016.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-N.J.) is one of two Democrats who voted against an impeachment inquiry procedural measure in late October. Since then, he has frequently warned other Democrats in the House that Trump will get reelected because impeachment will likely fail in the Senate.

“My district is red—a good chunk of it—and they’re definitely anti-impeachment. And then I have the part that is purple, and they are more pro-impeachment. So whatever you do,” he told NBC News on Friday. “you’re going to aggravate people.”