Independent lawmaker says he’s ready to vote to impeach Trump

Rep. Justin Amash said Friday that he is prepared to vote for three articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, ensuring that Democrats won’t be the only ones to impeach the President when the historic vote hits the floor as soon as this month.

Amash, a Michigan independent who left the Republican Party this summer after he backed formal impeachment proceedings, told CNN on Friday he would back three articles of impeachment: obstruction of Congress, obstruction of justice and abuse of power. He cautioned though he would wait to see the final language before ultimately committing to vote for them.

“I think there’s sufficient evidence for all three,” Amash said Friday on his way to the House floor. “Impeachment is like an indictment. We’re just issuing the charges. The trial happens in the Senate. There’s certainly probable cause to issue charges.”

So far, no House Republicans have signaled they’d vote to impeach Trump. One Republican who had kept the option open, Francis Rooney of Florida, told CNN that he’s concerned there’s been “a rush to judgment” by Democrats, criticizing them for not going to court to seek testimony from first-hand witnesses who’ve been blocked by the White House.

And at least two Democrats, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Collin Peterson of Minnesota, are expected to vote against the articles, with Van Drew telling CNN that he’s worried impeachment is “tearing the country apart.”

House Democrats have yet to finalize the articles of impeachment, but they are expected to be released next week.

Amash was previously the only congressional Republican to fiercely criticize Trump and call for impeachment proceedings based on the actions outlined in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. Earlier this year, after months of criticism from his colleagues and the President, Amash left the GOP.

“Today, I am declaring my independence and leaving the Republican Party,” Amash said in his announcement in a Washington Post op-ed in July. “No matter your circumstance, I’m asking you to join me in rejecting the partisan loyalties and rhetoric that divide and dehumanize us.”