Republicans urge McCarthy to weigh political implications of Biden impeachment.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Inches Closer to Impeachment Inquiry into President Biden
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has inched closer to sanctioning an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden as Republicans complain the administration is not cooperating with its investigations.
But as Democrats lambaste McCarthy’s impeachment inquiry comments as being politically motivated, some Republicans, such as former President Bill Clinton impeachment manager Bob Barr, are encouraging the speaker and his conference to embrace the politics of the process.
Embracing the Politics of the Process
Barr, a former federal prosecutor and congressman from Georgia, agreed with several more conservative lawmakers that there is enough evidence for an impeachment inquiry into Biden, “not necessarily articles yet.”
“I think that’s responsible,” Barr told the Washington Examiner. “What I would caution Republicans to do is to move in that direction, that is to introduce and pass an inquiry of impeachment, only if it is very carefully considered as part of the GOP overall strategy to keep the majority in the House next year. In other words, look at an inquiry of impeachment as just one part of their strategic plan.”
“I just worry that the leadership of Mr. McCarthy is not in a sufficiently strong position as [former House Speaker] Newt Gingrich was back when we went through this a generation ago to make sure that all these pieces are properly choreographed: the investigations, the appropriations process, an impeachment inquiry,” he said.
The impeachment process is a political exercise, according to Barr, and not taking the politics into account would be irresponsible, particularly after former President Donald Trump’s two House Democratic-led proceedings in 2019 and 2021.
For Barr, a strategic impeachment inquiry could indicate to the public that the allegations Republicans are making regarding Biden, specifically related to his son Hunter’s business dealings, are serious and that the party intends to address them seriously.
“The Clinton administration was very good at claiming that the impeachment of Bill Clinton was all about sex,” Barr said. ”Of course, it wasn’t. It was about perjury and obstruction.”
“I think the Republican Party now runs the risk of doing the same thing if we’re not careful about keeping the inquiry of impeachment, if they go forward with one, based on substantive evidence, not pictures of Hunter Biden,” he added. “It’s important to keep it professional, straightforward on the evidence, and not be drawn off on these tangents that play into the Democrat narrative.”
White House Response and Democratic National Committee Criticism
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to discuss “hypotheticals” when asked about McCarthy telling Fox News House Republican investigations into Biden and his family are “rising to the level of impeachment inquiry.” Instead, Jean-Pierre underscored how Biden is concentrating on the “real priorities” that “American families care about” and his bipartisan approach to governance.
The Democratic National Committee was more assertive in two separate statements, criticizing McCarthy for his remarks and then for fundraising off of them.
“Fundraising off this baseless impeachment inquiry threat is just the latest despicable reminder from Speaker-in-name-only Kevin McCarthy that this is all about scoring political points to help Donald Trump,” DNC spokesman Ammar Moussa said. “Every day, Kevin brings new shame to the House of Representatives, and this is just the latest stain on a so-called speaker who has handed over the reins of the House majority to Donald Trump and the extreme MAGA Republicans who are really in charge.”
Potential Impact on Biden and the Republican Party
Republicans acknowledge an impeachment inquiry could amplify concerns concerning Biden and son Hunter’s business dealings, especially the younger Biden’s foreign business dealings, as the president has an average 1 percentage point lead over Trump and a 3-point advantage over Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) before next year’s election, per RealClearPolitics. But House Republicans who have to defend competitive districts in 2024 contend the process could also coalesce Democrats around Biden despite the president’s average 42%-53% approval-disapproval rating, as his party has less than a point edge in generic congressional ballot polling.
McCarthy clarified his impeachment inquiry comment Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, repeating to colleagues and reporters he is not prepared to commence the process yet as he tries to prevent a federal government shutdown. The speaker last month referred Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) articles of impeachment charging Biden with high crimes and misdemeanors over the southern border to the relevant House committees, which are not required to act.
While Republican presidential candidates have sought to avoid talking about Trump’s legal problems, contenders, including DeSantis, have been happy to speak to a potential Biden impeachment inquiry as son Hunter’s plea deal with the Justice Department over federal tax and gun charges collapsed Wednesday.
“[Democrats] impeached Trump for a phone call. Are you trying to tell me Biden’s conduct isn’t as significant of that? It’s way more significant,” the governor told Fox News. “[House Republicans] are absolutely within their rights to do that. I think … the corruption that’s surrounding this family is really unprecedented in the modern history of our country.”
“The lack of interest on this from the FBI and the Department of Justice, it shows you weaponization,” he said. “There’s no interest in investigating, no zealousness with search warrants or any of this other stuff. So, I think the Republicans are going to have to bring some accountability because we’re not going to get it from [Attorney General Merrick] Garland DOJ and the [Director] Christopher Wray FBI.”
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