House Republicans continued their impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden on Tuesday by publishing a website to highlight the results of their investigation. The announcement did not appear to move Republican leadership any closer to launching formal impeachment proceedings.
The impeachment inquiry website includes a timeline of what it claims was “influence peddling” by President Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. At a press conference announcing the launch of the website, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said the inquiry would show that the president profited from or based some policy decision on the business dealings of his son.
“This story is as old as time. You have a politician who does certain things, those actions benefit his family financially, and then there’s an effort to sweep it all under the rug. We know this has happened,” Jordan said.
So far, though, the investigation has failed to uncover any evidence directly implicating the president, as Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., a member of the Oversight and Accountability Committee, admitted in an interview Tuesday on FOX Business.
Though the impeachment inquiry has now been going on more than two months, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he was not yet ready to begin formal impeachment proceedings.
“To do this appropriately and to do it in a manner that upholds our constitutional responsibility requires time and it requires a sound process,” Johnson said. “You don't rush something like this. You can't.”
Democrats said the decision to hold off on impeachment proceedings showed there was no proof of wrongdoing.
“Where's the beef? So where's the evidence?” said Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif.. “Right the Republicans can't point to a single shred of evidence implicating President right. That's why it's a slow start. There is no evidence.”
Democrats have also said the inquiry was a waste of lawmakers’ time. Even if President Biden were impeached by the Republican-controlled House, he would likely be acquitted in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Ohio’s Republican Sen. J.D. Vance, though, said he supported the inquiry.
“It's not a political stunt. I actually think it’s evidence of the political process working as it should if we’re investigation and trying to find out evidence. Of course if you’re reaching a foregone conclusion that’s not good, but getting the evidence out there, I think is a very important thing,” Vance said.
More movement on the impeachment inquiry was seen this week when Hunter Biden’s lawyer released a letter on Tuesday saying the president’s son was willing to testify before the House Oversight Committee—but only at a public hearing. The Oversight Committee responded in a social media post that they wanted to stick with their subpoena for a closed deposition, but would also consider holding public testimony at a later date.
