WASHINGTON >> Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced today that he is initiating a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over allegations of corruption in his family’s business dealings. This historic proceeding is taking place in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
McCarthy cited the House Oversight Committee’s ongoing investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings, specifically focusing on Hunter Biden’s activities before President Biden took office. The committee has uncovered what McCarthy referred to as a “culture of corruption” surrounding the Biden family.
Outside the speaker’s office at the Capitol, McCarthy stated, “These allegations of abuse of power, obstruction, and corruption deserve further investigation by the House of Representatives. Therefore, I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.”
This announcement comes at a critical time for McCarthy, who is facing pressure from conservative members of his party to take action against President Biden while also dealing with the challenge of passing legislation to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
McCarthy intends to hold closed-door meetings throughout the week, including a meeting to discuss the Biden impeachment. He finds himself once again navigating a difficult political landscape, trying to satisfy the demands of his conservative lawmakers and protect his own position.
Meanwhile, the White House has dismissed the impeachment push as a politically motivated tactic. White House spokesman Ian Sams stated, “Speaker McCarthy should not give in to the extreme right-wing members who are threatening to shut down the government unless they get a baseless and evidence-free impeachment of President Biden. The impact on the American people would be too severe.”
It is worth noting that this impeachment push is occurring while former President Donald Trump, who was impeached twice by the House but acquitted by the Senate, is facing serious charges in court. He has been indicted four times this year, including for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election that Biden won. Some argue that this impeachment inquiry serves as a means to draw a false moral equivalency between Trump and President Biden.
Although House Republicans continue to investigate Hunter Biden’s business dealings, they have not yet presented concrete evidence linking him to the president. The evidence shown thus far primarily consists of instances when the elder Biden, then Vice President under Barack Obama, communicated with his son or attended dinners with his son’s business partners.
As the Oversight Committee delves deeper into the Biden family’s finances, Republican Chairman Rep. James Comer is expected to request banking records for Hunter Biden in an effort to trace the flow of money.
Furthermore, Comer has demanded that the State Department produce documents regarding Biden’s efforts as Vice President to combat corruption in Ukraine. Specifically, Comer seeks to understand the State Department’s perspective on former Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin, whom Biden and Western allies wanted removed from office due to corruption allegations.
In response to the unfounded claims against President Biden leading up to the 2024 election, Democrats on the Oversight Committee are actively opposing these allegations. They aim to defend Biden against what they perceive as baseless attacks.
Meanwhile, there is a looming deadline for federal government funding on September 30, the end of the fiscal year. Congress must pass new funding bills to avoid a government shutdown and the disruption of government services.
Conservative members of McCarthy’s majority are advocating for spending cuts, and the far-right is unwilling to approve the spending levels previously negotiated between McCarthy and President Biden earlier this year.
McCarthy is attempting to propose a 30-day stopgap measure to keep the government running until November 1, but conservatives are resistant to what is known as a continuing resolution (CR) as they pursue cuts in spending.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, stated after exiting McCarthy’s office, “I have ‘red lines’ against any new spending for COVID-19 vaccines or mandates, as well as against funding for Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
Another influential Republican, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who is closely aligned with Trump, warns that McCarthy could face backlash from conservatives if he does not aggressively pursue spending cuts.
Earlier this year, Gaetz and other Republicans secured agreements from McCarthy as he fought to secure their votes for the position of House speaker.
Under House rules, McCarthy’s opponents have the ability to call for a vote at any time to attempt to remove him from office.
Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
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