POLITICS
House Votes To Authorize Impeachment Inquiry Into President Joe Biden
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The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted 221–212 to formalize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, hours after Hunter Biden defied GOP investigators’ subpoena for closed-door testimony, offering instead to testify publicly.
“We are very pleased with the vote today,” House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) told reporters he is leading the impeachment inquiry alongside House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.). “I think that sent a message loud and clear to the White House.”
“The House has now spoken and I think pretty loudly, pretty clearly with every single Republican voting in favor of moving into this official impeachment inquiry phase,” Jordan said.
In a statement after the vote, President Biden admonished Republicans for wasting weeks trying to find a new Speaker of the House and having to expel their own members rather than addressing pressing challenges like passing a full budget or funding for Ukraine, Israel, and the southern U.S. border.
Instead of doing anything to help make Americans lives better, they are focused on attacking me with lies. Instead of doing their job on the urgent work that needs to be done, they are choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt that even Republicans in Congress admit is not supported by facts, Biden said.
Republicans have spent months investigating President Biden and his son in connection to an alleged influence-peddling scheme, but have not yet produced evidence that Biden broke the law or abused his office. The president has denied the allegations.
Appearing at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Hunter Biden decried the MAGA Republicans who have impugned my character invaded my privacy, attacked my wife, my children, my family, and my friends. They ridiculed my struggle with addiction. They belittled my recovery and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass and damage my father who has devoted his entire life to service.
He also said his father has no financial involvement in his business dealings.
Not as a practicing lawyer, as a board member of Burisma not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman, not in my investments at home nor abroad and certainly not as an artist, he said.
He admitted being extremely irresponsible with his finances as he battled addiction following the death of his brother, Beau.
But to suggest that is grounds for an impeachment inquiry is beyond the absurd. It’s shameless, he said. There’s no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business.
TMX contributed to this article.
