Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) last month discussed the possibility of opening an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, specifically if he failed to turn over documents. The House went into its August recess, and so the matter has been a bit quiet. September is fast approaching though, and McCarthy was asked about impeachment while speaking to Larry Kudlow on Fox Business. We now know that such an inquiry could come in September.
Several House committee chairmen, including House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) have been investigating the Biden family corruption, as a matter of keeping to campaign promises.
When ultimately asked if he's made up his mind about an impeachment inquiry, McCarthy emphasized it's up to the Biden family and whether or not they comply. "The thing that holds up whether we'll do an impeachment inquiry, provide us the documents we're asking. The whole determination here is how the Bidens handle this," McCarthy responded.
"If they provide us the documents, there wouldn't be a need for an impeachment inquiry, but if they withhold the documents and fight like they have now, to not provide to the American public what they deserve to know, we will move forward with impeachment inquiry when we come back into session," the speaker offered.
Discussion of such an impeachment inquiry took up over half of McCarthy's interview with Kudlow, as the speaker had begun with a recap of what's taken place thus far and how the narrative's changed when it comes to Biden family corruption.
"Remember, the only reason you know of all this information is because we took the majority and we're holding the administration accountable. It is appalling of what we have learned, it is different than President Biden had told us," McCarthy offered to begin his lengthy response when discussing the impeachment inquiry, also calling to mind the changing narrative about whether or not Biden was involved in son Hunter Biden's business dealings, including when he was Vice President Joe Biden.
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We now know that it was not accurate for Biden and the White House to have claimed he never talked to Hunter about his business dealings, or that he was never involved in the family's business, or that money was taken in from China. As vice president, Biden himself even took part in phone calls with Hunter's business partners. It also doesn't help that Biden communicated with a pseudonym when he was vice president.
McCarthy raised issues to do with whether or not U.S. Attorney David Weiss had the full authority to bring charges against Hunter. Although Weiss was just recently granted special counsel status earlier this month, House Republicans had asked about such a designation back in February.
"Somebody is lying in this process," McCarthy pointed out, "And the only thing I realize here is, the only stories that have not changed, are the whistleblowers from the IRS," as he mentioned a concern commonly brought up that "it really looks like there's two justice systems here."
"If the Biden administration continues to fight to withhold information that could really clear all this up, did they take bribes, did they deal in the business. If they hold that up, we would have to move to an impeachment inquiry," the speaker offered, criteria he also mentioned in July as to what would trigger that inquiry.
That inquiry, McCarthy explained it, "would give the apex of power to Congress when it comes to our subpoena power and others to get the documents we need," which would include bank statements and credit card statements.
"Show us where the money went, show us were you taking money from outside sources, and that would clear most of this up, but they seem to fight it every step of the way," McCarthy pointed out.
The House committee chairmen, as well as Kudlow, raised concerns with Weiss as special counsel. As Kudlow mentioned, there are those worried Weiss could impede impeachment inquiry efforts. "If they use this special counsel to say that they can't provide us the information, then it just shows more politics, and it will not stop us," McCarthy assured, "and we would be able to still get the documents that we need as we move forward."
The speaker's words may have set some Republicans ginning for impeachment up for disappointment though. If Biden were to actually comply with the documents request, then, as McCarthy himself said, "there wouldn't be a need for an impeachment inquiry." We'll see if he's backed himself into a corner, potentially irking some fellow Republican House members even further who have been part of the growing calls for, at the very least, that inquiry.
Just as Matt wondered last month, will McCarthy actually act on it remains a key question.
The House is scheduled to be back in session on Tuesday, September 12.
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