House Republicans have been trying to impeach President Joe Biden since his first full day in office. On Wednesday, supported by Speaker Mike Johnson, they are expected to vote on legislation to open a formal impeachment inquiry, despite having made public no proof of any impeachable offenses.
Given the years they have spent on filing articles of impeachment against President Biden in his first two years, followed by a nearly-full year of three congressional committees investigating the President, if he had committed high crimes or misdemeanors, Republicans should be readily able to explain those offenses when asked. On Tuesday, in front of C-SPAN cameras as the House Rules Committee was drafting the impeachment inquiry legislation, and even on Fox News, Republicans seemed challenged to offer legitimate reasons why they need to formalize their impeachment inquiry, or to offer actual evidence of a crime.
“When you ask them, they cannot confirm that evidence exists,” reported CNN’s Lauren Fox on Tuesday, which the Biden campaign was only too happy to post on social media.
Reporter: There is no evidence to open an impeachment inquiry. When you ask Republicans about the evidence they cannot confirm where it exists pic.twitter.com/oJt0xWm8qi
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) December 12, 2023
For example, take three-term U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), who serves in House GOP Leadership as the Chief Deputy Whip, and previously served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. An award-winning attorney, Rep. Reschenthaler is also a former member of the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG), served in Iraq, also served as an elected judge, and co-hosted a right-wing radio show.
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Congressman Reschenthaler has tremendous experience in law, politics, and public speaking, so he should have little difficulty explaining why he supports opening an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, and what high crimes and misdemeanors the President has committed.
Listen to this exchange between Congressman Reschenthaler and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO).
“What is the specific constitutional crime that you’re investigating?” Rep. Neguse asked.
“Well we’re having an inquiry, so we can do an investigation, and compel the production of witnesses and documents,” Congressman Reschenthaler replied.
“And what is the crime you’re investigating,” Neguse was forced to ask again.
“High crimes, misdemeanors, and bribery,” said Reschenthaler, again not answering the question.
“What high crimes and misdemeanors are you investigating?” Neguse asked for the third time.
“Look,” replied Reschenthaler. “I will, once I get time I will explain what we’re looking at and I will make the equivalency –
NEGUSE: What is the specific constitutional crime that you are investigating?
RESCHENTHALER: High crimes, misdemeanors, and bribery
NEGUSE: What high crime and misdemeanor are you investigating?
RESCHENTHALER: Look, once I get time, I will explain what we’re looking at pic.twitter.com/6Vv3N9GVkE
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 12, 2023
Also on Tuesday, this exchange between U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA).
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“You’ve got a president, Joe Biden, that’s cognitively gone,” declared Norman, who called for then-President Donald Trump to “declare marshall [sic] law” to stay in office after he lost the 2020 election. “I would wager a good bit of money, you get him with five doctors, they would tell you the man’s not there.”
“Those are the concerns,” Congressman Norman declared during Tuesday’s impeachment inquiry hearing.
“I do disageee vehemently with what you’ve said,” Rep. Scanlon replied. “Have you spent any time with Mr. Biden, with the President?”
“Good God, no,” Congressman Norman replied.
“Good God no,” Scanlon retorted. “You’ve been watching a little too much Fox News.”
.@RepRalphNorman: “You’ve got a president, Joe Biden, that’s cognitively gone…”@RepMGS: “Have you spent any time with Mr. Biden, with the president?”
Rep. Norman: “Good God, no.”
Rep. Scanlon: “You’ve been watching a little too much Fox News.” pic.twitter.com/eusSN2PygF
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 12, 2023
Or, U.S. Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX), who, when asked by Fox News to name “the most significant two or three things you believe could prove a tie between these business dealings [of Hunter Biden] in lots of different countries, most of which are adversarial to the United States…and knowledge or action or receipt of funds received by his father,” his response is, “Joe Biden has been very soft on China.”
Claiming President Biden has made some “inexplicable” decisions on China, Fallon pointed to rescinding the Trump ban on TikTok, which has faced court challenges. President Biden instead ordered a wider national security review of foreign apps.
Congressman Fallon then dove into the GOP’s false claims about then-Vice President Biden, Ukraine, and Burisma. In late September of 2020, just weeks before Joe Biden was elected President, Senate Republicans published their report on Biden, Ukraine, and Burisma, concluding there was no evidence of any wrongdoing by the former Vice President. (Fact checks here, here, and here.)
FOX NEWS HOST: If you could, point to the most significant 2 or 3 things you believe could prove a tie between Hunter’s business dealings and knowledge or action or funds received by his father
REP. FALLON: Joe Biden has been very soft on China
*goes on to rehash Burisma stuff* pic.twitter.com/Yysyl9koEw— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 12, 2023
Watch the videos above or at this link.
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