McConnell Says Impeachment 'Not Good for Country' as GOP Lawmakers Mixed on Biden Impeachment
TheEpochTimes.com
REPUBLICANS
By
Ryan Morgan
Updated:
8/9/2023
As
Republicans in the House of Representatives are increasingly discussing
launching impeachment proceedings against President Joe Biden and other members
of his administration, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell
(R-Ky.)
is signaling apprehension.
Mr.
McConnell recently said the two Democrat-led impeachments of President Donald
Trump in 2020 and 2021, respectively, had incentivized Republicans to follow
similar measures against the Democrat currently occupying the Oval Office, but
that such actions are ultimately not good for the country.
"I
said two years ago, when we had not one but two impeachments, that once we go
down this path it incentivizes the other side to do the same thing,” Mr.
McConnell said in comments reported by the New York Times on Tuesday.
The
Republican Senate leader said "impeachment ought to be rare, rather than
common," but added, "I'm not surprised that having been treated the
way they were, House Republicans last Congress began to open up the possibility
of doing it again. And I think this is not good for the country to have
repeated impeachment problems."
Mr.
McConnell did not provide further comment when asked by NTD News whether he
believes Republicans have a viable impeachment case against President Biden,
based on the standards shown in the two prior impeachments of President Trump.
Mr. McConnell voted against impeaching President Trump in both cases.
NTD
News reached out to Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) about his
thoughts on the standards for impeachment, having favored the two impeachments
against President Trump. Mr. Schumer's office did not respond by the time this
article was published.
Republicans
Offer Mixed Views on Impeachments
After
Republicans gained control of the House in January, members of the majority
side began submitting articles of impeachment against Homeland Security
secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, alleging he lied under oath about having
operational control over the U.S. southern border.
Last
month, amid accusations the U.S. Department of Justice had impeded criminal
investigations into President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, House Judiciary
Committee chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said the Republican majority could
impeach Attorney General Merrick Garland, telling Fox Business host Maria
Bartiromo, "It sure looks like we’re moving in that direction at a pretty
quick pace."
In
June, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) introduced a resolution to begin
impeachment proceedings against President Biden, but the move divided the
Republican House majority. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy indicated his
primary concern with Ms. Boebert's resolution was one of timing, as Republicans
continue to investigate allegations that President Biden engaged in influence
peddling with his family. Rather than putting Ms. Boebert's resolution to a
direct vote, House Republicans sidestepped the issue by sending the
resolution to the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees for further
evaluation.
While
Mr. McConnell has now spoken publicly about his concerns with House Republican
impeachment efforts, Mr. McCarthy has signaled an impeachment inquiry against
President Biden may still be in the cards. In a July 24 interview with Fox News
host Sean Hannity, Mr. McCarthy praised Republican investigative efforts into
the Biden family, stating, "We would know none of this if Republicans had
not taken the majority."
"This
is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry, which provides Congress with the
strongest power to obtain the knowledge and information needed for
oversight," Mr. McCarthy added.
Reacting
directly to Mr. McConnell's comment about impeachment on Tuesday night, Rep.
Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.) told Fox Business, "Well, I don't think it's
good for the country, of course, and there's a lot of other things we should be
working on, but we have a responsibility per the Constitution of
oversight."
Mr.
Fitzgeral said he understood Mr. McConnell's opposition to impeachment but said
not pursuing an impeachment inquiry would be "shirking our
responsibility" of congressional oversight.
In
an interview with NBC News, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), a swing-district
Republican, signaled some reservations with the evidence Republicans have
against President Biden so far. “I don’t think it’s there at the moment, but
these committees are doing their job.”
Rep.
Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.), another swing-district Republican, told NBC News he
felt the investigations thus far have raised "serious questions of
impropriety" and welcomed continued investigations. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick
(R-Pa.), who represents a Democrat-leaning district, said he feels the process
of impeachment is becoming a vote of no confidence, adding, "I don’t want
to see our country go down that path."
Potential
Avenue for Impeachment
In
a new appearance on Fox News on Monday night, Mr. McCarthy again said House
Republican investigations are nearing the threshold for an impeachment inquiry
and signaled Republicans may seek the president's bank statements next.
Last
week, Hunter Biden's former business partner Devon Archer testified that while
serving as vice president, Joe Biden joined business calls that his son was on,
and appeared at in-person dinner meetings with Hunter Biden's foreign business
partners.
On
Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee released bank records, detailing $20
million in foreign payments to Hunter Biden and his business partners. One
apparent wire payment to Hunter Biden came from Kazakhstani businessman Kenes
Rakishev on April 22, 2014. Mr. Archer testified that Mr. Rakishev attended a
dinner at the Cafe Milano in Washington, D.C., in the spring of 2014 and that
Joe Biden was present for the interaction.
The
House Oversight Committee disclosed another $3.5 million transfer from Russian
billionaire Yelena Baturina to Hunter Biden and Mr. Archer in February 2014.
Mr. Archer testified that Ms. Baturina was also present at the meeting at the
same Cafe Milano just weeks later, where Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, and Mr.
Rakishev were in attendance.
During
his interviews with Mr. Archer, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) contended that Hunter
Biden sold his business partners an "illusion of access" to his
father and that the elder Biden's interactions with his son's business partners
were always casual and never touched on business directly.
President
Biden's own bank records could indicate whether or not he also had financial
ties with Hunter Biden's business partners. In his Fox News appearance on
Monday, Mr. McCarthy said President Biden should "give us his bank
statements" to clear up any doubts about his connection with his son's business
transactions.
“I
think there’s enough proof out there that this Biden family needs to come
forward and show there wasn’t a pay-to-play,” Mr. McCarthy added.
White
House spokesman Ian Sams has pushed back on Mr. McCarthy's comments this week,
accusing the House speaker of lying.
"Instead
of pursuing this shameless and baseless impeachment stunt, House Republicans
and Speaker McCarthy should join the president to work on continuing to bring
down inflation and lower costs, create jobs, and grow the economy," Mr.
Sams said in a widely circulated press statement. "That is, after all,
what the American people sent their leaders to Washington to do."
Connecting
the Dots:
Addison M.
McConnell (Mitch McConnell) is a senator, minority leader
for the U.S. Senate and married to Elaine L. Chao.
Elaine L. Chao is
married to Addison M. McConnell (Mitch McConnell) and a
fellow at the Hudson Institute (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder
for the Hudson Institute (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for
the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Resources:
Past Research
Trump
Slams McConnell, Cornyn for Forwarding Gun Control (Connecting the Dots:
McConnell’s Wife, Bloomberg’s Gun Control & Soros Funded Think Tanks All
Networking Against Your 2nd Amendment) (Past
Research on Mitch McConnell & His wife)
THURSDAY,
SEPTEMBER 1, 2022
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/09/trump-slams-mcconnell-cornyn-for.html
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