President Joe Biden blasted Congressional Republicans for wasting time and attacking him with “lies” after the House formally authorised an impeachment inquiry against him on Wednesday.
“I wake up every day focused on the issues facing the American people — real issues that impact their lives, and the strength and security of our country and the world,” the president said in a statement. “Unfortunately, House Republicans are not joining me. Instead of doing anything to help make Americans’ lives better, they are focused on attacking me with lies.”
The House voted 221 to 212, along party lines, to authorise the already ongoing impeachment inquiry. The probe largely focuses on Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and his business dealings as the Republicans search 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.
“We are now at a pivotal moment in our investigation,” House Oversight Committee chair James Comer, a leader of the impeachment, said before Wednesday’s vote. “We will soon depose and interview several members of the Biden family and their associates about these influence peddling schemes.”
Democrats have fired back in turn, saying their Republican colleagues were only pursuing impeachment in a show of party unity and to appease Trump.
“We are here for one reason and one reason alone: Donald Trump demanded that Republicans impeach, so they are going to impeach,” Representative Jim McGovern said. “They are weaponising and abusing impeachment, one of the most sombre and serious things that Congress can do, to attack President Joe Biden.”
Hunter Biden called out Republicans in his own address on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. He defied a subpoena to sit for a closed-door deposition with Republicans, instead offering to answer questions in a public hearing. Republican investigators have already used subpoenas to dig into Hunter Biden’s bank accounts and computer. He was indicted on tax charges in California this month and faces other charges over gun crimes from 2016 to 2019.
“I am here,” the younger Biden said on Wednesday. “Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not financially involved in my business — not as a practicing lawyer, not as a board member of Burisma, not my partnership with a Chinese private businessman, not in my investments at home nor abroad and certainly not as an artist.”
The president said on Wednesday he remained committed to his job, pointing to his recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his efforts in the war between Israel and Hamas. He specifically called out Republicans for stymying his attempts to address migration across the country’s southern border with Mexico and fund the federal government, saying the party “won’t act to help” on many fronts.
“Instead of doing their job on the urgent work that needs to be done, they are choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt that even Republicans in Congress admit is not supported by facts,” he said.
“The American people deserve better. I know what I am going to remain focused on,” Biden added. “I would invite Republicans in Congress to join me.”