President Biden, during his initial public comments on the congressional inquiry, accused House Republicans of initiating an impeachment inquiry against him with the intention of “bringing government operations to a halt.” The President, at 80 years old, expressed disbelief regarding Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s directive for House committees to launch a formal impeachment inquiry, connecting this investigation to the impending government funding deadline of September 30.
In his remarks at a campaign event in McLean, Va. on Wednesday, President Biden stated, “I’m not entirely certain of their reasons, but it appears they were determined to impeach me.” He went on to suggest that their primary motive for wanting to impeach him was to disrupt the functioning of the government.
President Biden also mentioned that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) had expressed a desire to impeach him from the very beginning of his presidency.
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He emphasized his daily focus on addressing issues that directly impact the American people, rather than dwelling on impeachment, saying, “I wake up every day with my attention on the matters that affect the lives of the American people. I have a responsibility to address these concerns on a daily basis,” before moving on to other subjects.
McCarthy, a Republican from California, initiated the impeachment inquiry against the President due to allegations regarding his involvement in his son Hunter Biden’s international business ventures.
When announcing the commencement of the investigation at the Capitol, McCarthy stated, “House Republicans have uncovered substantial and credible accusations regarding President Biden’s actions. When viewed collectively, these allegations create a troubling image of a corrupt environment.”
He went on to assert, “Our inquiries have revealed that President Biden provided false information to the American people concerning his awareness of his family’s overseas business transactions.” McCarthy further charged, “Witnesses who have come forward testified that the President participated in numerous phone conversations and had multiple interactions. These interactions, including dinners, resulted in financial benefits, including millions of dollars, for both his son and his son’s business associates.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre asserted on Wednesday that the ongoing congressional investigations into allegations of influence-peddling involving the Biden family have consistently failed to uncover any evidence of wrongdoing by the President.
Jean-Pierre stated to reporters, “This has been a recurring refrain throughout their nearly year-long inquiry, and that’s because there is no evidence of any wrongdoing by the President. Even House Republicans have acknowledged the absence of substantial evidence.”
President Biden has consistently maintained that he never engaged in discussions with his 53-year-old son or his brother James concerning their international business ventures. This claim is in contrast to certain pieces of evidence, such as witness statements and materials from Hunter’s abandoned laptop, which suggest otherwise.
Although the initiation of an impeachment inquiry doesn’t guarantee that President Biden will be impeached, it is widely anticipated that articles of impeachment will be drafted and put up for consideration.
Since January, five resolutions have been introduced by Republican lawmakers, all seeking to impeach the President on grounds of “high crimes and misdemeanors.” These allegations are related to his handling of the immigration crisis and his alleged attempts to shield his family’s business dealings from both congressional oversight and investigations by the Justice Department.
Speaker McCarthy will face the challenge of managing this inquiry alongside the looming deadline for government funding at the end of the month. Failure to take action in this regard would result in a government shutdown.
Notably, some House Republicans have advocated for maintaining focus on advocating for spending reductions in the lead-up to the September 30 government funding deadline.
Reportedly, Speaker McCarthy has suggested to GOP members the idea of passing a short-term bill referred to as a “continuing resolution.” This temporary measure would serve as a stopgap solution to keep the government funded while negotiations for a longer-term funding agreement are underway.
However, it’s worth noting that the conservative House Freedom Caucus has signaled its opposition to any such stopgap measure aimed at preventing a government shutdown.
