Elisabeth Franz/Reuters
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a press conference about the impeachment trial of U.S. President Joe Biden at the U.S. Capitol on November 29, 2023 in Washington, U.S.
CNN
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Speaker Mike Johnson said Saturday He believes Republicans have the votes to launch a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
“I believe we will,” Johnson told Fox News of the GOP-led impeachment inquiry. “I doubt any Democrats will help in this effort, but they should.”
Johnson said Republicans “have an obligation to do this” and “we cannot stop the process.”
Republican leadership and key GOP caucus leaders on Friday explained why they believe the impeachment vote is necessary, argued it would strengthen their legal position in court and called the White House’s investigation into the president and his son’s foreign business dealings a “graveyard.” transactions — a claim the White House vehemently denied.
Appearing with House GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik, Johnson said the investigation would not be used as a partisan political tool.
“Elise and I both served on Donald Trump’s impeachment defense committee twice, when the Democrats used it for shameful partisan political purposes. We condemned that use. It’s very weird,” Johnson said.
“Right now we’re stalled by the White House because they’re preventing at least two to three DOJ witnesses from coming forward” and withholding evidence from the National Archives, he continued. “A proper impeachment inquiry vote would allow us to take it to the next necessary step, and I think that’s something we need to do at this time.”
At this point, House Republicans Pushes to formalize Their impeachment inquiry against Biden but did not get the votes to do so.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called his committees in September Open a formal impeachment inquiry With Biden under increasing pressure from his right, it is clear that the convention is divided on whether there is evidence to impeach the president.
Asked about Hunter Biden’s lawyers requesting an open hearing instead of a deposition, Stefanik called the request “unacceptable” and said “the only proper response to a subpoena is a deposition.”
“An open hearing is five minutes on the Democratic side, five minutes on the Republican side. It becomes a very public press opportunity,” Stefanik said. “We want to go about it from a legal and factual perspective, and the only way to go about it is through a deposition.”
“This is precedent,” Johnson added. “In every congressional hearing in the modern era, depositions have come first, and public testimony has followed. Why should we break that precedent now?”
