Politics
House Republicans move ahead with efforts to impeach President Biden
By Jake Beardslee · December 7, 2023
In brief…
- House Republicans released a resolution to formalize their impeachment inquiry into President Biden
- A committee vote is planned for next Tuesday to authorize the investigation
- GOP believes the vote will strengthen their power to obtain evidence in court
- White House slammed the "baseless stunt," saying Republicans just want attention
The House Republican caucus is moving forward with efforts to impeach President Biden. On Thursday, they released a resolution to formalize the impeachment inquiry that House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy declared to be underway back in September.
The document directs the House Judiciary, Oversight and Reform, and Ways and Means committees to “continue their ongoing investigations as part of the House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden.” The committees have spent months probing the finances of Biden’s family and a Justice Department investigation into his son Hunter’s unpaid taxes.
A committee vote is expected on the resolution next Tuesday. Republicans believe formally authorizing the inquiry will give more legal weight to their probe and bolster their power to obtain evidence, especially if disputes end up in court. Last November, the White House argued the GOP inquiry was “unconstitutional” because the full House had not voted on it. While Republicans disagreed, Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan said the White House letter prompted them to hold a formal vote now, arguing “it just helps us in court.”
In response, the White House spokesperson Ian Sams slammed House Republicans’ “baseless stunt,” saying their “shameless desire to abuse their power” shows a “focus on stupid stunts to get attention.” Democrats also pointed to past skepticism from some Republicans about whether impeachment is actually warranted.
The committees have focused extensively on Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine and China while his father was vice president. But their inquiry has struggled to directly implicate President Biden in wrongdoing or prove their most serious claim - that he accepted a bribe. The narrative that Biden improperly pushed Ukraine to fire a prosecutor to protect his son has largely been debunked, according to The Hill.