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

US Should Recognize American Samoans as Citizens, Judge Says

SALT LAKE CITY—People born in the territory of American Samoa should be recognized as U.S. citizens, a federal judge in Utah decided Thursday in a case filed amid more than a century of legal limbo but whose eventual impact remains to be seen. The cluster of Pacific islands southwest of Hawaii is the only place in the country without an automatic claim to citizenship. People born there are labeled U.S. nationals, meaning they pay taxes but cannot vote, run for office, or apply for certain government jobs. U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups sided with three people from American Samoa who sued to be recognized as citizens. He ruled that the Utah residents are entitled to birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and ordered the government to issue…

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

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.”

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Congressman Suggests National Guard Could Enforce Gun Laws in Virginia

A member of Congress suggested that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam could activate the state’s National Guard and use it to enforce recent gun control measures after a number of counties declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries. As reported by WCYB, a local station, Virginia’s Wise County is the latest to make the Second Amendment sanctuary declaration on Thursday. More than 70 cities and counties have said they would oppose any state legislation they think would infringe on gun rights. Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) suggested cutting off state funds to counties that don’t comply with any gun control measures that pass in the state capitol. “They certainly risk funding, because if the sheriff’s department is not going to enforce the law, they’re going to lose money. The counties’ attorneys offices are not…