House Set to Approve Biden Impeachment Inquiry as It Hunts for an Offense
The Republican-led House will vote on Wednesday to officially impeach President Biden, advancing a G.O.P. The investigation has not produced any evidence that would be considered high crimes or misdemeanors.
Republicans claim that the expected vote in the evening is necessary to grant them the full authority they need to conduct their investigations, despite the legal challenges anticipated from the White House. Democrats have called the investigation a political stunt and a fishing trip.
G.O.P. Leaders resisted calling for a vote on opening an impeachment investigation, due to the reservations of many mainstream Republicans from competitive districts about moving forward with no proof that Mr. Biden had done anything wrong. The political landscape has changed dramatically, and many of the Republicans are now ready to move forward, despite the fact that they have not charged the president yet.
Tom Emmer, Minnesota’s No. 3 House Republican, said at a news conference on Tuesday that “voting for an impeachment investigation does not mean impeachment”. At a press conference held on Tuesday, Tom Emmer, the No. 3 House Republican said that voting in favor of an impeachment inquiry does not equal impeachment. “We will follow the facts wherever the lead us, and if we uncover evidence of high crimes, misdemeanors or treason then and only then, will we consider the next steps to impeachment procedures.”
|
Since gaining the majority in the House, House Republicans have investigated a variety of aspects of Mr. Biden’s family and his administration. They are looking for evidence to show that he is corrupt, and therefore should be impeached. Former President Donald J. Trump has been urging their investigation in every step, still angry over being impeached two times.
The Republican investigation has been focused on the son of the president, Hunter Biden. He is currently under indictment for federal gun and tax charges and on his work with companies and partners from Ukraine, China, and other countries. The Republicans are also looking into whether the Biden Administration interfered with the Justice Department’s investigation of Hunter Biden, and if President Biden mishandled documents while he was a Senator or Vice President.
Republicans used their subpoena powers to obtain more than 36,000 bank records, 2,000 pages from Treasury Department reports on suspicious activity, and dozens hours of testimony by two of Hunter Biden’s business partners, an official at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), seven federal agents, and three U.S. Attorneys.
“The Republican’s year-long fishing expedition has not uncovered any evidence of wrongdoing on the part of President Biden,” stated Representative Dan Goldman of New York.
The impeachment resolution does not charge Mr. Biden with any wrongdoing. The resolution authorizes three Republican panels to continue their investigation and to petition a court to obtain grand jury material. It also authorizes subpoenas, and retroactively accepts many that have been issued.
Speaker Mike Johnson has accused Mr. Biden’s of corruption. He said that lawmakers are focusing on four areas. These include: the millions of Dollars Hunter Biden and James Biden (the president’s brother) received through overseas business deals, false or misleading statements the elder Mr. Biden had made about his son’s work, incidents where the elder Mr. Biden spoke to or met his son’s business partners, and the $240,000 elder Mr. Biden was reimbursed for a loan by his family.
Republicans have tried, but without success, for years to prove that Biden’s son was richly rewarded by the business deals of his father. In fact, many of the documents Republicans have produced so far show the opposite, that Mr. Biden loaned money to his brother and son when they needed it, and then they paid him back.
House Oversight Committee documents revealed that Joseph R. Biden Jr., who was not yet in office, received three $1,380 payments from Owasco PC in 2018, when Hunter Biden owned the business. Republicans claimed that the payments were proof of corruption. The money was used to reimburse his father after he helped pay for a Ford truck.
Republicans have scheduled an early morning Wednesday deposition for Hunter Biden. He has refused to testify behind closed doors, citing his fear that Republicans would selectively leak parts of his testimony. Hunter Biden, however, has refused to testify behind closed doors. He fears that Republicans will selectively leak portions of his testimony.
Republicans, however, have rejected this offer and threaten to hold him in contempt if he doesn’t comply with their demands.
In a press briefing, Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio and chairman of the Judiciary Committee outlined his plan to bring in nine additional witnesses within the next two months.
He said Republicans were looking into whether Mr. Biden had taken a bribe or engaged in misconduct, or obstructed the investigation. Jordan said that the false statements made by President Obama about Hunter Biden’s business activities — like his claim that Hunter Biden did not receive any money from China — might be considered obstruction.
Jordan stated, “We will look at the facts and then make a decision.” Was it obstruction when Joe Biden made all those statements that were later proven to be false?
The New York Times published the article House to Approve Biden Impeachment Inquiry As It Hunts For an Offense.