- The investigation was declared open by former chairman Kevin McCarthy in September
- Returning with a vote to approve the investigation signals that the House is far from an actual vote on impeaching the president
The House is now considering formally voting on whether to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
Republican Majority Whip Tom Emmer informed members in a closed-door meeting that a vote on opening the investigation could come in the coming weeks as he said the Biden administration is resisting document requests, a source in the room said.
Early this month, Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that the House was nearing a decision on whether to vote on articles of impeachment — the final step in the process — and not on an investigation.
Early this month, Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that the House was nearing a decision on whether to vote on articles of impeachment — the final step in the process — and not on an investigation.
“I do believe we will make a decision on it very soon,” he said on November 2.
Republican leaders have long insisted that no vote is needed to approve the investigation — in part to avoid putting swing district members in a difficult position. Now they are reconsidering their position, as White House lawyers often insist the investigation lacks “constitutional legitimacy.”
But holding a vote would be risky given the Republican Party’s three-seat majority.
Republicans criticized Nancy Pelosi for initially failing to hold a vote to approve the impeachment inquiry into former President Donald Trump. Pelosi ultimately voted in the full House to authorize the investigation.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy suggested in an interview with DailyMail.com on Tuesday that the investigation is not over. “We haven’t finished doing all the research yet,” he said. “It might take a little more time.”
Johnson, meanwhile, said the evidence already gathered by the Republican chairmen of the Oversight, Ways and Means and Judiciary committees is “alarming,” even as he warned against a hasty ruling.
“While we take no pleasure in what is going on here, we do have a responsibility to do it,” Johnson said at a news conference on Wednesday.
He defended the impeachment inquiry, claiming it was very different from the two impeachments against Trump, which he defended during the trial.
Oversight Chairman James Comer insists that Hunter Biden must come in for a closed-door statement before any public testimony
Johnson said the evidence already gathered by the Republican chairmen of the Oversight, Ways and Means and Judiciary committees is “alarming,” even as he warned against rushing to judgment.
‘We denounced the way the Democrats politicized that process. They were blatantly political and how they brought those lousy charges against the president.”
He said Republican efforts against Biden are “the exact opposite” of Trump’s impeachment and that Republicans stand for the “rule of law.”
Meanwhile, Republicans in the House of Representatives have now set up a new impeachment website to outline the evidence they say they have found against the president.
Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee has gone back and forth with the Biden family after subpoenaing Hunter and James Biden for testimony.
Hunter’s attorneys offered to testify every day in December, as long as it was done with the doors open. But Chairman James Comer stressed that Hunter must first make a statement behind closed doors before giving televised testimony to the committee.
“Our committees will first interview and depose witnesses,” Comer told reporters. “Then, of course, we would welcome Hunter Biden to testify at a public hearing at a future date.”