Report: US House Could Vote on Biden Impeachment Inquiry by January

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Facts

  • Politico reported Tuesday that US House Republicans could vote on whether to impeach President Joe Biden as early as January. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told the outlet that his party could finish interviewing at least 15 witnesses, including Biden's son Hunter, by the end of the year.1
  • The House GOP faces multiple obstacles, however, including their thin majority in the lower chamber and many in their party still hesitant over whether they've obtained enough impeachment evidence. If it did go through, they would likely accuse Biden of improperly using his political office to further his family’s business dealings.2
  • Since former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced the inquiry led by the Judiciary, Oversight, and Ways and Means committees in September, his colleagues have gathered a wealth of bank records and interviewed several Biden family associates. Recently-elected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), however, has been skeptical of the merits of the investigation.1
  • Jordan estimated that they still have 12 to 15 interviews left to conduct, including Hunter Biden and Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, who purchased Hunter's artwork. Jordan, Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), and Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) also briefed Speaker Johnson last week on the status of the investigation, which Jordan has said could spill over into January.2
  • The impeachment, which will likely be rejected by the Democrat-majority Senate if passed by the House, could also include the charge that Biden obstructed the GOP's probe by not cooperating. The White House, however, would likely point to a Dept. of Justice opinion stating that articles of impeachment cannot be filed without a formal vote on an inquiry.1
  • Some Republicans are also worried about the negative effects an impeachment could have on their party's chances in the 2024 election. Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.) of the Judiciary Committee said that "the further you go toward an election, the more politicized these conversations become," which is why "it's all the more important for us to begin to take action sooner rather than later."2

Sources: 1Forbes and 2Politico.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Intelligencer. There are many reasons this inquiry won't work, the least of which is the lack of any evidence to support these corruption accusations. First of all, only the extreme MAGA Republicans are enthusiastic about this impeachment, with the rest quietly hoping for it to die on the floor or be dropped entirely — especially the 18 GOP reps from states Biden won in 2020. And finally, if this sham inquiry eventually passes the House, it will be dead on arrival in the Democrat-led Senate.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by The Federalist. While government representatives in Biden's party may not allow impeachment to succeed in the end, that doesn't mean the President is innocent or free from independent investigations into his nefarious dealings. As more and more burner email accounts emerge exposing how he used private servers to conduct White House business, for example, those interested in the truth will hopefully find more incriminating evidence of Biden using his office to reap financial rewards for himself and his family.

Predictions