Speaker Johnson Confident GOP Has Votes for Biden Impeachment Inquiry
House Speaker Johnson asserts GOP's strong backing for initiating a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden, signaling potential trouble for the current administration
House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed confidence on Saturday that Republicans have enough votes to initiate a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. "I believe we will," Johnson stated in an interview with Fox News regarding a GOP-led impeachment inquiry. "I suspect no Democrats will assist in this effort, but they should."
Johnson stated that Republicans have an obligation to proceed and that the process cannot be halted. On Friday, Republican leaders and major GOP committee chairs argued for the necessity of a vote for an inquiry, asserting that it would bolster their legal position in court. They also accused the White House of obstructing their investigation into the president and his sons' foreign business activities, a claim that the White House vehemently denied.
Johnson, appearing with House GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik, asserted that the inquiry would not be weaponized for partisan gain. "Elise and I both previously served on the impeachment defense team of Donald Trump, where the Democrats shamelessly used it for political purposes. We strongly opposed that. This situation is distinctly different," Johnson stated.
The White House is currently stalling the process by preventing at least two to three DOJ witnesses from coming forward and withholding evidence from the National Archives. A formal impeachment inquiry vote on the floor will allow us to take the next necessary step, which I believe is crucial at this point. Up to now, House Republicans have been striving to formalize their impeachment inquiry into Biden but have been unable to secure the votes to do so.
Kevin McCarthy, the former House Speaker, urged his committees in September to initiate a formal impeachment inquiry into Biden. This call comes as he faces growing pressure from the right flank to proceed, despite the divided opinion within the conference regarding the existence of evidence to impeach the president.
When asked about Hunter Biden's lawyers' request for an open hearing instead of a deposition, Stefanik criticized the request as "unacceptable" and stated that "the only appropriate response to a subpoena is a deposition."
Stefanik explained that an open hearing consists of five minutes for the Democrats and five minutes for the Republicans, turning it into a highly publicized media event. She emphasized the importance of approaching the matter from a legal and factual standpoint, stating that the only way to do so is through a deposition.
Johnson pointed out the significance of the precedent, noting that in every investigation conducted by Congress in the modern era, the deposition has always come first, followed by public testimony. He questioned the rationale behind breaking that precedent at this time.
