First-term Democrats push Amash as impeachment manager: report

A group of first-term Democrats are pushing to make former Republican Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) an impeachment manager during the Senate trial of President Trump, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

The group consisting of about 30 freshman Democrats wants Amash on the team to argue the case to remove Trump from the White House. These Democrats are asking for Amash because he could speak more effectively to conservative voters and it could reduce GOP claims that Democrats are seeking a partisan impeachment, according to the Post. 

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) is leading the group requesting House leaders consider the libertarian for the job after having an “epiphany” Friday night.

“To the extent that this can be bipartisan, it should, and I think including Representative Amash amongst the impeachment managers is a smart move both for the country, for the substance and for the optics,” Phillips said, according to the Post.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) would have the ultimate say as to whether Amash makes the team. She is set to make an announcement expected early this week, Democrats told the Post. Phillips said Amash told him he would consider becoming an impeachment manager.

Amash’s appointment would be unconventional as he is not on the House Intelligence or Judiciary committees. But because all of the past impeachments have been bipartisan, these Democrats think this is the right move.

“There couldn’t be anyone perhaps in the entire U.S. House . . . whose general political views are as polar opposite from many of us in the Democratic Caucus, and that’s what makes it such a powerful statement: that on the issue of our responsibility to our Constitution, we are perfectly aligned,” Phillips told the Post.

The Hill reached out to the offices of Phillips, Amash and Pelosi for comment.

The House Judiciary Committee moved the impeachment vote to the House floor, which is expected this week. If the House approves, the president will be on trial in the Senate.