Let The Games Begin: Biden Impeachment Inquiry Authorized By House
The House on Wednesday approved the launch of a formal impeachment probe into President Biden, just hours after Hunter Biden ditched Congressional testimony on Capitol Hill.
The 221-212 vote was along party lines, with Republicans formalizing a processes which began weeks ago, and Democrats criticizing the vote as a political stunt for retribution over the impeachments of former President Donald Trump - who was impeached for asking Ukraine about obvious Biden corruption, and his alleged role in the Jan. 6 riot.
Formalizing the impeachment process will grant Congress additional power by improving the likelihood that a court will authorize access to grand jury materials, as well as boosting the chances that Republicans will be able to overcome objections such as executive privilege, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The White House several weeks ago challenged House subpoenas and demands for transcribed interviews with Biden family members on the grounds that the existing impeachment probe, launched by GOP leaders in September, wasn’t valid because the House didn’t vote to authorize it.
“The impeachment inquiry is necessary now,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) told reporters this week, “because we’ve come to this impasse where following the facts where they lead is hitting a stone wall because the White House is impeding that investigation.” -WSJ
The inquiry has so far been two-pronged, with the House Oversight Committee focusing on the Biden family's financial malarkey, and the House Judiciary Committee focusing on on the weaponization of the Justice Department and FBI.
"This vote will allow the House Judiciary, Oversight and Ways and Means committees to continue their investigations. The evidence mounting against the president cannot be ignored," said House Majority Whip Tom Emmer in Wednesday comments to reporters.
"We know Joe Biden has lied to or misled the American people about his knowledge of his son's business dealings over and over again, and it is very likely that he was involved in and benefited from his family's corrupt business dealings as well."
Democrats tantrum
"No amount of evidence could convince Republicans that Joe Biden did nothing wrong because they’re not looking for truth, they’re looking for revenge," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), the top Democrat on the House Rules committee, ahead of the vote.
Earlier Wednesday, Hunter Biden defied a subpoena to appear before the House to testify about his family's dealings, instead saying in a Capitol Hill speech: "Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not financially involved in my business."
The younger Biden has faced congressional and legal scrutiny regarding his overseas business dealings in Ukraine, China and elsewhere as well as alleged tax evasion, and Republicans have sought to show links between Hunter’s work and his father.
While Hunter Biden said he was willing to testify publicly, he rebuffed a subpoena from House Republicans to answer questions behind closed doors on alleged links between his foreign business dealings and his father. “I’m here today to make sure that the House committee’s illegitimate investigations of my family do not proceed on distortions, manipulated evidence and lies,” he said.
The younger Biden had previously said he was only willing to testify publicly so that Republicans couldn’t selectively leak portions of his statements. House leaders said the president’s son couldn’t dictate the terms of his testimony and said they would now initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against Hunter Biden. -WSJ
"He was just across the way at the Capitol, you’d think he could’ve come here and sat for questions," said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH).