Sen. Debbie Stabenow said she would support House Democrats if they launch an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, becoming the latest Michigan Democrat to support such proceedings.
Stabenow, who won re-election to a fourth term last year, issued a written statement Monday night saying former special counsel Robert Mueller's report about Russia's interference in the 2016 election "describes extremely serious instances of the president of the United States trying to obstruct justice." She said "no one is above the law."
Politico first reported Stabenow's position.
At least 110 Democrats in the 435-member House now favor opening an impeachment inquiry. House committees have been investigating Trump and filing lawsuits to obtain information.
Even if the Democratic-controlled House voted to impeach Trump, the Republican-run Senate would likely acquit him.
Michigan's other senator, Democrat Gary Peters, is up for re-election in a crucial battleground state and has not backed impeachment proceedings.
Among Michigan's 14 House members, five have backed an impeachment inquiry, including Republican-turned-independent Justin Amash and four Democrats: Dan Kildee, Brenda Lawrence, Andy Levin and Rashida Tlaib. Three Democrats, including two freshmen in swing districts, and all six Republicans have not supported impeachment proceedings.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a liberal political action committee, is currently running a TV ad on CNN and MSNBC in the Detroit market to pressure Democratic Reps. Debbie Dingell, Elissa Slotkin and Haley Stevens to support impeachment.
In his report, Mueller said his team declined to make a prosecutorial judgment on whether to charge Trump, partly because of a Justice Department legal opinion that said sitting presidents should not be indicted. His detailed report factually laid out instances in which Trump might have obstructed justice, leaving it up to Congress to take up the matter.
