Rep. Katherine Clark came out in support of opening impeachment proceedings for President Trump after former Special Counsel Robert Mueller delivered his testimony on Capitol Hill. But she told Boston Public Radio on Friday that the actions of Republican Mitch McConnell played into her decision too.
On the same day Mueller testified that Russians interfered in the 2016 election, and will continue to meddle in the future, McConnell blocked election security laws.
In a wide-ranging interview, Clark also discussed her endorsement of Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president, Trump's racist statements against lawmakers, and how McConnell continues to block gun control bills.
"Right there at the Senate door are two bills that say universal background checks, and [close] the loophole that allowed the shooter in Charleston to get a gun illegally. These are common sense ideas that are supported by the American public across the political ideology spectrum and yet Mitch McConnell is just saying no to all these bills," she said. "He has declared himself the grim reaper of legislation."
Clark, vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, became the top Democrat to support an impeachment inquiry, but the tide may be turning for the rest of the body too, as more than half of House Democrats now say they would vote to launch proceedings against President Donald Trump.
Clark said despite House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's hesitance to move forward with impeachment, she has never expressly taken it off the table.
"We are now on recess," she said. "I know there are hundreds of town halls planned across the country by Democrats to hear from and talk to their constituents, and we're going to see how this plays out."
"I believe he has committed impeachable offenses," said Clark when asked if she is in support of impeachment, not just opening the inquiry. "It is a question to be determined, whether proceeding with an impeachment vote is our best way to make sure this president is a one term president and that is my goal."
