Politics
Congress launches Biden impeachment hearings - Dems are miffed
By Jake Beardslee · September 28, 2023
In brief…
- House Republicans are holding their first impeachment inquiry hearing today as they probe the business dealings of President Biden and son Hunter.
- Today's witnesses have no firsthand knowledge of Hunter Biden's business dealings at the center of the inquiry, but will provide information that, Republicans believe, will help inform the investigation.
- Democrats slammed the impeachment hearings as partisan and wrongminded as Congress heads toward a possible government shutdown.
- Republicans argue that the impeachment inquiry will give them the tools they need to obtain confidential documents.
House Republicans opened conducted their first impeachment inquiry hearing today as they zero in on President Joe Biden’s business dealings with his son, Hunter Biden.
While the three GOP witnesses brought in to testify are not involved in the Hunter Biden investigation and have no firsthand knowledge of his activities, Republicans intend to use today’s hearing to help lay the groundwork for their ongoing impeachment investigation.
“Today, the House Oversight Committee will examine over two dozen pieces of evidence revealing Joe Biden’s corruption and abuse of public office,” Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said in a statement to CNN. “This includes e-mails, text messages, bank records, and testimony of Biden business associates.”
Democrats slammed the proceedings, calling it “ironic” that Republicans are pursuing impeachment as the federal government faces a possible shutdown.
“It’s hard to grasp the complete derangement of this moment,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the top Democrat on the Oversight panel, said. “Three days before they’re set to shut down the United States government, Republicans launch a baseless impeachment drive against President Biden. No one can figure out the logic of either course of action.”
While House Republicans leading the inquiry have not yet produced evidence directly implicating Joe Biden in wrongdoing, they believe the impeachment probe will give them tools to obtain the confidential documents that will lay out the money trail from the First Son to the Commander in Chief.
Democrats counter that no such evidence exists, and the impeachment push is merely an attempt to damage Biden ahead of the 2024 election.