House Republicans Project Confidence in Biden Impeachment Inquiry
Washington – Despite lacking evidence to support their allegations, House Republicans are projecting confidence in their impeachment investigation into President Joe Biden after the House formally authorized the push.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., expressed confidence in the investigation, stating that the unanimous vote formalizing the impeachment inquiry “shows we’re united.” Comer, alongside House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., emphasized their expectations for people to honor their subpoenas and their desire to wrap up the investigation.
While it’s unclear when Republicans hope to conclude their investigation into the president, a senior House Republican aide stated that they aim to finish it “expeditiously” and come to a decision about whether to draft articles of impeachment against Biden. The investigation has focused on allegations that Biden leveraged his previous position as vice president to influence and benefit from his family’s foreign business dealings. GOP lawmakers have not directly implicated the president, but have made his son, Hunter Biden, a focal point of the inquiry.
House Republicans issued a subpoena for Hunter Biden to testify behind closed doors, but he defied the subpoena and instead delivered remarks on Capitol Hill, criticizing the inquiry and accusing GOP lawmakers of weaponizing his battles with drug addiction to attack his father.
Following Hunter Biden’s public comments, House Republicans questioned his statement that “my father was not financially involved in my business,” pointing to the word “financially” and questioning whether the president may have been involved in other ways. The White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, Ian Sams, pushed back on this argument, stating that the president was not in business with his son and accusing Republicans of making up allegations.
The timeline for potential impeachment proceedings beyond the initial investigation is unclear, with some GOP lawmakers from swing districts keeping their cards close to their chest. Representative Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who represents a district Biden won in the 2020 election, emphasized that the facts and evidence will determine any next steps, stating “We didn’t have a vote on impeachment.”