Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse is the sixth House Republican to announce that he will vote in favor of impeaching President Trump for “incitement of insurrection” at the U.S. Capitol last week.
“The mob was inflamed by the language and misinformation of the President of the United States,” Newhouse said in a statement on Wednesday announcing his intention to vote yes. “This is a pivotal and solemn moment in our country’s history. I wholeheartedly believe our nation — and the system of government it was founded upon — may well be in jeopardy if we do not rise to this occasion. This is not a decision I take lightly.
“Turning a blind eye to this brutal assault on our Republic is not an option. A vote against this impeachment is a vote to validate the unacceptable violence witnessed in our nation’s capital. It is also a vote to condone President Trump’s inaction,” Newhouse said.
In announcing his intention to vote to impeach Trump, he joins Republicans Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican; Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a frequent Trump critic; New York Rep. John Katko, the first House Republican to announce his intention to vote yes; Michigan Rep. Fred Upton; and fellow Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler.
Newhouse, whose district encompasses a large, rural central area of Washington state, easily won reelection in 2020 with 66% of the vote.
Earlier on Wednesday, Newhouse told reporters that he was still weighing how he was going to vote on impeachment, saying, “It’s a big decision.”