House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Tuesday he is directing House committees to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, amid pressure from some hard-right members of the Republican caucus to do so.

The inquiry would center on whether Biden benefited from his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings, among other issues, McCarthy said.

“These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption and warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives,” McCarthy told reporters Tuesday morning. “That’s why today I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.”

McCarthy spoke for three minutes, did not take any questions and left the lectern shortly after making his remarks. McCarthy has previously said he would not launch an inquiry without a vote by the full house.

The House faces a critical Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government and avoid a shutdown. McCarthy has been trying to hang on to support for a funding bill from far-right GOP lawmakers, who have been pushing to impeach Biden.

Republican leaders have been weighing whether to use an impeachment inquiry vote as a bargaining chip in the funding negotiations. But it’s not certain that Republicans have the necessary 218 votes to pass it. Some lawmakers are staunchly against it, and McCarthy has said that an impeachment inquiry would occur through a vote on the House floor, as opposed to his unilateral decision-making.

    • Bri Guy @sopuli.xyz
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      1 year ago

      honestly, at this rate i wouldn’t be surprised if every future president gets an impeachment inquiry from the opposite side just out of pettiness

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      Smells like a well oiled propaganda machine doing exactly what it’s supposed to. I don’t think this is desperation I think it’s theater and a lot of people are eating this shit up.

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    Republicans are absolutely desperate to try to equate Biden with Trump so they can say “well Biden was impeached too” or “Biden had documents too”.

    That’s what it’s all about, and it’s a gross distortion of government and democracy.

    • Daft_ish@lemmy.world
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      Nah, they did the same thing to Obama. They actually tried to impeach Obama multiple times. THE GOP IS DONE WITH GOVERNING THEY ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN POWER.

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        Hilariously, they’re also trying to shut the government down at the same time. How the fuck do they think this is supposed to work?

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            Well, let’s not forget the obvious here: stupidity, jealousy, shortsightedness, and just plain old blind opportunism. All the basic characteristics of a Republican Congress-member. 

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          They’re planning on passing a bill that gives impeachment inquiries unlimited funds by taking money away from everything that might actually benefit the American people?

          Republicans don’t live in reality, it’s very difficult to follow their “logic”.

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      I think it’s more to distract Trump supporters from all his indictments and trials, even though most don’t give a shit and will vote for him even if he went on a murderous rampage school shooting. “Well was it a liberal school? It was? He’s got my vote.”

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        Because they know that it will hurt them during the next election cycle if they were involved in an impeachment hearing. Whatever party instigates the impeachment always gets hurt on the next election cycle, and the Republicans are riding razor thin margins as it is.

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          Eh? Not sure what you’re basing that on. Republicans won in 2000 after impeaching Clinton, and Democrats won in 2020 after impeaching Trump. There are no other modern examples of impeachment, at least not at the Presidential level.

          Now, impeaching for obvious political grandstanding, yes, that will absolutely hurt them.

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      I can see them doing it twice more, just throwaway motions to impeach, just so they can say Biden was impeached more times than Rich Dad

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      It’s worth noting that even if “your guy” Republican hasn’t actually voted for or said anything bad, they are complicit in allowing their colleagues to do so.

      I.e., it’s not just McConnell, but him and 49 other senators that allow him to lead.

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        I don’t know that this approach really works for politicians, there isn’t really anything they can legally do about their colleagues voting habits. They were voted in by their constituents to vote in their interests, it isn’t their place to force the voting habits of a different politician that was voted in by different constituents to represent them. That’s undemocratic.

        I think I’d be very hard pressed to find a conservative that votes in my interests regardless though.

        • grue@lemmy.world
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          They can switch parties (or at least disavow the Republican Party and become independent). Failure to do that makes them complicit.

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            if “your guy” Republican hasn’t actually voted for or said anything bad, they are complicit in allowing their colleagues to do so

            Sure, but the original topic was about allowing colleagues to vote they way they do, which isn’t (and frankly shouldn’t be) in their power to change. Switching parties or going independent doesn’t change the voting habits of other conservatives.

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            But-but can’t you think about the implications for their political careers??? Poor Bois would have to abandon a life of ease and good food to start actually working in the society they helped create. Imagine the HORROR!!

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        You recognize all conservatives to be authoritarian pieces of shit, you dunk on them at any chance you get both IRL and on line and you go on with your life.

        How does that sound?

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    Thanks for handing the house to democrats in 2024, fucknutz. We all know they aren’t going to pass a government funding bill that will make it through the Senate. Even McConnell said what they are proposing HE wouldn’t vote for.

    We get absolutely nothing from these assholes that benefits the American people. Only a hand job for Trump and his shitty cult members.

    #VOTE THE REPUBLICANS OUT!

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      I agree with your intent, but doubt the optimism. Never bet on the Democratic Party to be unable to snatch defeat out of an easy victory. Unless everyone gets off their ass and Votes, we are doomed to the same corruption and waste we have watched for the past five decades.

      • PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world
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        Was going to say the same. If there’s one thing Democrats are good at, it’s passively discouraging democrat voters. And Republicans are really really good at riling up their voters.

        If every single eligible voter was required to cast a vote, democrats would win in a landslide. But democrats don’t fucking vote, (disenfranchisement, feeling like their vote doesn’t matter, milquetoast candidates, etc,) so the numbers have roughly balanced out.

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        but our choices are radical right-wing fascists or conservative do-nothing democrats. who do we vote for?

        ive watched the ‘get out and vote’ mantra go nowhere for 40 years… its last gasp died when obama Shit right on bernies head. right on his head!

        i am out of optimism. were all fucked.

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          Hmm actual Fascists or slow mo progress with Center Right? bOtHsIdEs!!!1!!! give up and let the Fascists win! /s

          This is the stupidest possible option you can take. The World is not a rosy meadow full of good options and it is well past time you grew up and helped.

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          I watched people’s apathy result in both the Bush and Trump administrations. Both were utter disasters. Voting for the party that’s not an utter disaster is the obvious choice.

          But it’s also not the only thing to do. I think the huge mistake of the Obama Administration was figuring that we elected this guy and he’ll fix everything for us. Doesn’t work like that. There’s a hundred things to do at the state and municipal levels, and a lot of them will have a more fundamental effect on your life than anything at the federal level.

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          Can’t say I disagree. My hopes lie with things like ranked choice voting. We’ll never be rid of this bullshit until we’re no longer forced to choose between two terrible people (funded by two private organizations) out of a country of 330 million.

          Also moist.catsweat.com? I love it.

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    Even if you were one of the people who thought Trump was innocent, you could understand the very clear charges against him at both impeachments. We had the transcripts of his conversation extorting Ukraine, and you had the videos of the insurrection that he directed.

    The evidence against Joe Biden is … ?

    It’s non-existent. That’s what it is.

    This is Republicans 100 percent, beyond any doubt abusing their power. They continue to damage our democracy for the singular end of strengthening their grip on power.

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      The problem is, most of these Republicans didn’t watch or read even a summary of any official proceedings. They are convinced that they’re right, and don’t need a person in a robe to tell them that God’s chosen president was wrong.

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        All that matters to them is Truthiness, that hasn’t changed since Bush was in office.

      • _Sc00ter
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        most of these Republicans didn’t watch or read even a summary

        Why would they? It’s all fake news

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    I mean, if he did anything wrong, I support this.

    But it seems like every article doesn’t really mention what he did wrong… or any sort of proof. Seems a bit premature to jump to impeachment without evidence but what the fuck don’t know.

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    In the news today: McCarthy is a liar, water is wet, and the GOP is inept.

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    Do you think Trump benefited from insert like a million instances of his family being intermixed into his businesses and even government roles? I hate whataboutism, but republican hypocrisy is even worse.

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    Remember, Trump was initially impeached for:

    In his first impeachment, the House in 2019 charged Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after he asked Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son on unsubstantiated corruption accusations.

    Now, they are trying to impeach Biden for that same witch-hunt.

    Edit: to be clear, Trump used Hunter to go after Joe Biden during the campaign. He did illegal shit to do it. The house repubs are trying to use Hunter again to go after Joe Biden. That’s what I mean by the same witch-hunt.

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      Trump was caught attempting to blackmail a foreign leader for political gain, with dramatic geopolitical implications. Hunter Biden’s minor misdeeds are a total nothingburger in comparison. I agree with the other comment, this smells of desperation.

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        He also allowed a foreign leaders security detail to violently assault US citizens.

    • Rusticus@lemmy.world
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      When did Biden call a foreign power and threaten to withhold their funding if they didn’t investigate Trump and his children?

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    I live in California in a fairly blue congressional district with a Republican congressman. There’s a great chance this will flip my district in 2024.

    McCarthy’s not bright enough to be third in line to be president. Hopefully this and the other BS he’s pulled will cost him his Speakership position and relegate him to a footnote in American history.

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    The inquiry would center on whether Biden benefited from his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings, among other issues, McCarthy said.

    Im pretty sure this wouldnt be illegal even if true. I think immediate family is one of the exceptions to politicians receiving money from others. Again, and they keep ignoring this part, hunter is not a government official in any capacity. He’s allowed to have business dealings. This is only abuse in the reverse scenario, if Biden used his position to benefit Hunter. But of course they cant even manage to allege that hes done anything like that, theyve got nothing.

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    He doesn’t have the votes, but he will allow Congressional committees to keep doing their normal clown show without the benefit of an actual vote.

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      Never count on any Republican to not be a PoS. Complicit if only to retain power is still complicit.

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        McCarthy’s soul has been sold so many times even the Devil is saying “pass” and letting crazy take the reins.

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    Kevin McCarthy is absolutely spineless. Trying to impeach Biden is so transparently an attempt to make Trump’s impeachmentS seem like no big deal to their constituencies.

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    Oh god, they’re still on Hunter Biden’s laptop? Are we going to see Hunter Biden dick pics as part of an official House inquiry, entered into evidence and all that shit (if it hasn’t happened already)?

    We’re in the midst of one of the greatest threats to human survival known to man (global climate change), and they’re putzing around with piddly-ass BS fishing expedition for whatever scraps of impropriety that they think they can dredge up. If Biden had done even a fraction of the scandalous BS that Trump did on a weekly basis, I wouldn’t mind an investigation being opened. Everyone should be held to standards, BUT given Republicans complete and blatant lack of honesty when dealing with Trump and Biden’s apparent lack of any substantial rule-breaking that anybody has been able to present any evidence of… this looks pretty much like a fishing expedition.