What’s Happening:
Joe Biden has been under the watchful eye of his detractors for years based on his past political and business affiliations. Republicans have moved from a status of observing Biden to more proactive tactics to investigate the president.
Turning up the heat on Biden started with an impeachment inquiry in mid-September and now Republicans want to add fuel to the fire. GOP members of the U.S. House have gathered troves of information they say places Biden front and center of various corrupt actions.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said the impeachment inquiry is now calling for the investigation to move to the next phase. Johnson wants witnesses to be placed under oath and on the record for what they know.
From The Daily Wire:
“At this stage, our impeachment inquiry has already shown the corrupt conduct of the president’s family and that he and White House officials have repeatedly lied about his knowledge and involvement in his family’s business activities,” Johnson said.
Those alleged lies include payments in the tens of millions of dollars from “foreign adversaries,” according to Johnson. He stated that those payments went to “shell companies controlled by the president’s son, brother and their business associates.”
He has pledged his “unwavering support” for Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY), who is leading the impeachment inquiry, and the two others tasked with assisting him: Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO). Johnson wants to increase the pressure on those involved in the situation or those who have knowledge of the details.
“Now, the appropriate step is to place key witnesses under oath and question them under the penalty of perjury, to fill gaps in the record,” Johnson said.
The impeachment inquiry is investigating whether the Biden family’s business practices have fostered corruption in government. It began under former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and has increased in intensity under Johnson. Biden and his allies claim that the inquiry is politically motivated, and that the president has done nothing wrong.
Comer last week announced an increased number of subpoenas and transcribed interview requests as the inquiry heats up. Targets of these subpoenas include the president’s son, Hunter Biden, and brother, James Biden, as well as Rob Walker, a former Biden family business associate. Comer wants these people deposed by the middle of December.
There has been no formal decision by the Republican-majority House whether the inquiry will become a full-blown impeachment of Biden. Comer has said the final impeachment decision will be made by the speaker, and Johnson has stated he will not “predetermine” the outcome but does believe a “point of decision” is on the horizon.
Key Takeaways:
- Republicans add fuel to the fire in impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden.
- GOP wants witnesses under oath with threat of perjury by mid-December.
- House Speaker Johnson pledges “unwavering support” for inquiry efforts.
Source: The Daily Wire
