The White House condemned the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden as “extreme” and unwarranted on Tuesday.
“House Republicans have been investigating the President for 9 months, and they’ve turned up no evidence of wrongdoing,” White House spokesman Ian Sams posted on X. “His own GOP members have said so.”
Speaking in the U.S. Capitol Building, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy opened the inquiry on Tuesday by stating that House Republicans uncovered “serious and credible allegations” against President Biden of “abuse of power, obstruction, and corruption.”
Sams claimed the inquiry is “extreme politics at its worst,” and suggested McCarthy should hold a House vote to launch the inquiry, even though former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) did not do so during her impeachment proceedings of former President Donald Trump.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) displays a signed an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)
“He vowed to hold a vote to open impeachment, now he flip flopped because he doesn’t have support,” Sams said.
Depending on the inquiry’s finding, a full House vote could occur on articles of impeachment. If approved by 218 votes in the House, the articles would be conveyed to the Senate, where the higher chamber would be forced to hear the evidence during a Senate trial.
Ian Sams, with the White House counsel’s office, speaks to reporters outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
McCarthy said House investigators found that Joe Biden lied about his involvement in the family business and that bank records show many payments were directed to Biden family members through shell companies. He also noted an FBI informant file that alleged Joe Biden was bribed by a Ukrainian energy executive.
“Taken together, these allegations paint a picture of a culture of corruption,” he said. “These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption. They warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives.”
“That’s why today, I am directing our house committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden,” he continued. “This logical next step will give our committees the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public. It’s exactly what we want to know: the answers.”
WATCH — “President Biden Did Lie”: McCarthy Announces Impeachment Inquiry into Joe Biden:
“I believe the President would want to answer these questions and allegations as well,” McCarthy added. “I would encourage the President and his team to fully cooperate with this investigation in the interests of transparency.”
Polling appears to necessitate the need for an impeachment inquiry. Sixty-one percent of Americans believe Joe Biden was involved in his family’s business deals with China and Ukraine, according to a recent CNN poll. Only 38 percent say he was not involved, and just one percent say he was involved and did nothing wrong.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.