Biden 17 Face Backlash Back Home
This week, in a shameful display, MAGA House Republicans voted to formally open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. MAGA House Republicans have chosen to stand with Donald Trump, the disgraced former president facing 91 criminal indictments, instead of with the American people and addressing important issues like access to health care and the cost of living. Instead, they are pushing ahead with this desperate political stunt, despite the fact that James Comer and Jim Jordan’s year-long investigation has not produced a single shred of evidence of wrongdoing by the President, let alone any high crime or misdemeanor warranting impeachment. But don’t just take our word for it. In addition to the slew of stories yesterday about the lack of evidence, we’ve compiled more on this bogus impeachment inquiry, including implications for the Biden 17 when they return home for the recess:
ABC News: What To Make Of The Biden Impeachment Inquiry. “So far, throughout committee hearings and press releases, Republicans have yet to produce any evidence of wrongdoing by Joe Biden. While Hunter Biden faces multiple felony counts across multiple jurisdictions for various tax- and gun-related offenses, there is no evidence that the president has committed any wrongdoing himself or benefited personally from any family business deals. But House Republicans are hoping that a steady stream of news about the investigation — regardless of its fruitfulness — will continue to damage the president’s already dismal image and distract from the investigations into the leader of their own party.” [ABC News, 12/14/23]
The Washington Examiner: Republicans Split On Whether Voters Will Punish Them For Impeachment Inquiry Into Biden. “The House voted this week to authorize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, but Republicans are divided on whether the move will help or hurt them in the 2024 elections. […] With an already razor-thin House majority, Republicans face a difficult election in 2024, especially after a Congress marked by internal feuds, the removal of a speaker, and a near-government shutdown.” [The Washington Examiner, 12/15/23]
HuffPost: Joe Biden Calls Republicans Time-Wasting Liars After Impeachment Vote. “The House voted 221 to 212, along party lines, to authorize the already ongoing impeachment inquiry. The probe largely focuses on Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and his business dealings as the GOP searches for dirt on the president to echo the impeachment proceedings against his predecessor, Donald Trump. But the party has failed to find compelling evidence of corruption, and it’s the third time Republicans have tried to investigate the same claims.” [HuffPost, 12/13/23]
Newsweek: Fox News Turns on House Republicans Over Joe Biden Impeachment. “A number of Fox News hosts have openly expressed skepticism about the House Republican attempts to impeach President Joe Biden, or noted the lack of evidence to back up the corruption allegations… The allegations at the center of the impeachment have been denied by the White House and Hunter Biden’s lawyers, and the inquiry has faced criticism that it has uncovered no meaningful evidence. The White House previously described the attempts by the GOP to impeach Biden as ‘sad, pathetic, and a waste of everyone’s time.’” [Newsweek, 12/15/23]
The Guardian: US Rightwing Media Begins To Show Signs Of ‘Impeachment Fatigue’. “Amid the Republican clamor to impeach Joe Biden this week, some in the rightwing media have been more skeptical about the process moving ahead despite no evidence of wrongdoing by the president.” [The Guardian, 12/15/23]
The Independent: Why Do Republicans Want To Impeach Joe Biden? “So far, no evidence has been produced to prove any wrongdoing against the Bidens, but House speaker Mike Johnson has insisted that the investigation is necessary and not a spurious political vendetta against a commander-in-chief his side disapproves of, as Democrats have alleged.” [The Independent, 12/15/23]
Mint: Joe Biden Faces Impeachment Inquiry Despite Lack Of Evidence. Will The US President Be Removed? “Congressional investigators have obtained nearly 40,000 pages of subpoenaed bank records and dozens of hours of testimony from key witnesses, but while investigations have raised ethical questions, no evidence has emerged that Biden acted corruptly or accepted bribes in his current or previous role.” [Mint, 12/15/23]
AlterNet: No ‘Concrete Evidence’: These Fox News Hosts Are Deeply Skeptical About Biden Impeachment Inquiry. “Fox News and Fox Business have been bastions of anti-Biden propaganda, often hyping House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer’s (R-Kentucky) Joe Biden/Hunter Biden probe. But Newsweek’s Ewan Palmer, in an article published on December 15, points out that some Fox News hosts “have openly expressed skepticism about the House Republican attempts to impeach President Joe Biden, or noted the lack of evidence to back up the corruption allegations.” Fox News’ Steve Doocy, Palmer points out, has said that House Republicans “have not connected the dots” to show that President Biden did anything illegal with his son. And Fox News reporter Peter Doocy, his son, said that “so far,” the Oversight Committee has “not been able to provide any concrete evidence that Joe Biden personally profited from his son Hunter’s overseas business.” Fox News’ Bret Baier has pointed out a contradiction with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana). When House Democrats voted to impeach Donald Trump the first time, Johnson, in December 2019, said, “The founders of this country warned against a single party impeachment for good reason.’” [AlterNet, 12/15/23]
In The States
Politico: Vulnerable House Republicans Weigh Risks Of Biden Impeachment Probe. “House Republicans in swing districts are trapped between the wishes of their GOP base to move forward on an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden and the risk of being portrayed as extremists as they defend their seats in the 2024 midterm elections. Vulnerable GOP members are trying to perform a high-stakes balancing act: Support the inquiry, but refrain from a full-throated endorsement of impeachment.” [Politico, 12/14/23]
The Los Angeles Times: Vulnerable House Republicans Vote For Biden Impeachment Inquiry. “The vote could come back to haunt swing-district Republican candidates. A majority of voters in competitive districts view the probe as baseless, according to an early December survey commissioned by Congressional Integrity Project, a Democratic aligned nonprofit, and conducted by Public Policy Polling. The survey found that 52% of voters saw the impeachment inquiry as designed to damage Biden politically. Most Trump voters — 85% — said the probe was more about finding the truth. Fifty-six percent of people who declined to back either presidential candidate in 2020 characterized the probe as more of a serious effort to investigate important problems.” [Los Angeles Times, 12/13/23]
New Hope Free Press: Congressman Fitzpatrick Votes For President Biden Impeachment Inquiry. “Political group Congressional Integrity Project called out Fitzpatrick for his vote on the impeachment inquiry. ‘Brian Fitzpatrick and MAGA House Republicans have taken a blatantly political stance tonight. They chose to stand with Donald Trump, the disgraced former president facing 91 criminal indictments, NOT with the American people and their important priorities like health care and addressing the cost of living,’ Congressional Integrity Project Executive Director Kyle Herrig said. The Congressional Integrity Project ran ads calling on Fitzpatrick last week not to support an impeachment inquiry against Biden, calling it ‘evidence free.’ The approval of a formal impeachment investigation represents a move by Republicans, who anticipate that the action will strengthen enforcement of subpoena orders. Congressional Republicans, who are managing the impeachment process, have leveled allegations of dubious business dealings against Hunter Biden and other members of the Biden family. The Republican investigators have not yet provided substantial proof to support claims of illegality, which would be needed to impeach the president.” [New Hope Free Press, 12/13/23]
Politico: IMPEACHMENT PUSH. “Freshman House Republicans in New York are being knocked in a digital ad campaign as their GOP colleagues edge toward the impeachment of President Joe Biden. The ads from the Democratic-allied Congressional Integrity Project target Reps. Anthony D’Esposito, Nick LaLota, Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro and Brandon Williams. ‘They have failed to address access to healthcare or rising costs, as promised when they ran for office,’ Kyl[e] Herrig, the group’s executive director, said in a statement. ‘Instead, they have wasted all year investigating President Biden and his family, and have not turned up a single shred of evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever.’ The ads are the latest indication of how the impeachment could complicate the lives of Republicans running in districts Biden won in 2020. New York, a heavily Democratic state Biden handily won, will once again be a focal point in the fight for control of the House in 2024. All five Republicans elected last year are expected to face competitive races, while Republicans hope to flip the seat held by Rep. Pat Ryan in the Hudson Valley. The group plans to spend seven figures over several months on the digital spots.” [Politico, New York Playbook, 12/11/23]
Syracuse Post Standard: Brandon Williams Helps House Republicans Authorize Biden Impeachment Inquiry. “U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams voted with House Republicans today to authorize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, despite a lack of evidence to show misconduct by the president. Williams, a first-term Republican who represents Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, joined a unanimous group of House Republicans who voted to formally authorize the inquiry. The final vote was 221-212 along party lines, with all voting Democrats in opposition to the measure.” [Syracuse Post Standard, 12/13/23]