Month: July 2023

White House ignores Republicans demanding answers on Biden’s knowledge of Hunter Biden’s business dealings

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Republicans have gotten a cold shoulder from the White House after demanding answers about President Biden's knowledge of Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings.

In a July 20 letter to White House counsel Stuart Delery, four prominent Republicans in the House — GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo. — pressed for answers after the Biden administration shifted its messaging about the president's knowledge of Hunter Biden's business interests.

The lawmakers, expressing "concern over President Biden's involvement with Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings," said in the letter, which was first reported by the New York Post, the issue raises "national security and ethics concerns."

"President Biden and official White House spokespersons have said repeatedly that the President had no knowledge of his son’s business, nor did he discuss business with his son," the Republicans wrote.

ELISE STEFANIK BACKS BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: 'OH, ABSOLUTELY'

 "However, on June 29, 2023, Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House Counsel’s office, released a statement saying, ‘As we have said many times before, the President was not in business with his son.’

"This statement deviates from previous White House statements and brings forward concerns that the President knew of his son’s foreign business deals."

The lawmakers also included in the letter a string of questions for the White House counsel's office and requested a response by July 27. That request, however, was ignored by the White House.

Two questions asked by the GOP lawmakers: "Is the White House now admitting President Biden knew of and was involved in Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings" and "What was President Biden's involvement in these foreign business dealings?"

The lawmakers also sought to find out whether the Justice Department has "an open investigation regarding the uncovered WhatsApp message from Hunter Biden to a CEFC China Energy official."

"No matter how many times the White House desperately tries to cover up for Joe Biden, it is an indisputable fact that the White House has changed its position on Joe Biden’s knowledge of and involvement in Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings," Stefanik told The Post.

"The Biden administration’s continued stonewalling of House Republicans’ investigations into the Biden family influence peddling scheme and Joe Biden’s involvement will not deter us. We will leave no stone unturned and use every tool at our disposal to deliver accountability."

During an appearance on FOX Business Thursday, Stefanik made similar comments when she told a "Mornings with Maria" panel she would "absolutely" support the opening of an impeachment inquiry into Biden.

HUNTER BIDEN CONTRADICTS DAD'S CLAIM NOBODY IN FAMILY 'MADE MONEY FROM CHINA'

Asked whether she would support a potential impeachment inquiry, Stefanik responded, "Oh, absolutely. I'm in conversations with Speaker (Kevin) McCarthy and all of our members. The important thing to know about an impeachment inquiry is that it ensures that the House is at the apex of its power and oversight responsibility. It means that our subpoenas have the most power possible when it comes to litigating this out in court because we know getting the facts is not going to be easy.

"We know this White House, this Department of Justice, they are trying to cover up for Hunter Biden and, ultimately, Joe Biden. What is important that you mentioned at the beginning of your statement is the White House is trying to quietly change its language. First it said that Joe Biden never spoke to his son about Hunter's business dealings. They have now changed that language to now saying Joe Biden has never been in business with Hunter Biden's business operations. That is a significant change. … 

"It is only because of House Republicans that we've discovered the dozens of LLCs, which is illegal money laundering, the fact that nearly 20 Biden family members have profited illegally."

McCarthy said this week that Republican lawmakers in the House may consider an impeachment inquiry of Biden over claims of financial misconduct.

Speaking Tuesday at the Capitol, McCarthy said the questions that House Republicans are raising about the Biden family finances need to be investigated. He said an impeachment inquiry "allows Congress to get the information to be able to know the truth" about whether Biden committed any wrongdoing.

An impeachment inquiry by the House would be a first step toward bringing articles of impeachment. Such a probe could be as lengthy or swift as the House determines, potentially stretching into campaign season.

Speaking to Fox News Digital about the subject earlier this week, McCarthy said his party will, for now, continue seeking information related to the Biden family finances unless that information began being withheld.

"What I've said is if they withhold information, the impeachment inquiry allows Congress to have the apex of power to get all the information they need. All this information people are finding out now is only because Republicans have investigated," McCarthy said.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"The people of America have a right to know what went on. They have a president who lied to the American public and said they didn't get any money from China. We know that's true. We've had whistleblowers from the IRS come say the Biden family is treated differently and that other things were going on. And then you have a[n] informant with the FBI saying there was a bribe. We need to know the answer to this."

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News' Brandon Gillespie and Charles Creitz, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

GOP splits on spending, abortion derail House vote, some Republicans warn of ‘catastrophic’ cuts

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Disputes among House Republicans over spending cuts and abortion policy forced House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to scrap a vote planned for this week on one of 12 major funding bills for the next fiscal year.

The agriculture spending bill was expected to hit the House floor late this week, but lawmakers instead went home without any vote – a sign that Republicans may struggle to find agreement in their own party on these issues.

On the question of spending, members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus have been pushing for a total of $1.47 trillion in discretionary spending next year, while House GOP leaders set out a total of $1.58 trillion and have proposed funding bills based on that higher level.

When the agriculture spending bill came up this week, it became clear that conservative lawmakers couldn't support that specific bill or the broader GOP leadership plan. The decision to delay the vote sparked anger from rural Republicans, who said the party shouldn't be looking to cut any more from the agriculture bill.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES HUNGRY FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT AFTER MCCARTHY’S COMMENTS: ‘GROUND SHIFTED’

"I just have very serious concerns of when you absolutely gut an [agriculture] appropriations bill, I mean, it has catastrophic effects on the safety of our food, cuts USDA inspectors, [affects] the export market – cutting important programs" said Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, who represents a heavily Republican rural district.

"It’s also catastrophic for our animal disease control – right now we’re trying stop . . . African Swine Fever, and when you gut this bill, you no longer have the funds to protect our animals here in the U.S.," he said.

Feenstra was careful not to directly blame the Freedom Caucus or its allies to Fox News Digital, but warned, "Whoever wants to take a big whack at this" that they were affecting "the breadbasket of the world."

Abortion policy was another point of division in the GOP this week. The agriculture bill included language that would curb access to mail-order abortion pills, a provision that conservatives said would be needed to secure their vote.

But the inclusion of that language is a problem for other Republicans.

"Some in the Freedom Caucus wanted significantly more spending cuts than were agreed upon. And so that is a big factor in this, as well as some of the language related to abortion that many of us expressed concerns about. And so those are coming forward," said freshman Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who last year took a seat held by a Democrat.

HOUSE, SENATE HEADED FOR SPENDING SHOWDOWN AFTER SENATE PUSHES FOR $13.7 BILLION EXPANSION

Freedom Caucus members defended their positions that upended the GOP schedule this week.

Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said it’s "certainly not true" that the cuts they are calling for would derail valuable programs. "Let me clarify, [agriculture] is, other than the military [and veterans bill], is the one with the very least amount of cuts," Good said.

Good also repeated the Freedom Caucus demand that they need to see what all 12 spending bills look like before they can start supporting them on the House floor.

"We want to know how all the bills fit together, how the whole puzzle fits together before we go down the road with, you know, some bills, and we don't know we've got the cuts in place for the remaining bills," he said. "And as it applies to [agriculture] specifically, we want to maintain all the conservative policy that's been in there."

Freedom Caucus Policy Chair Chip Roy, R-Texas, agreed that a full view of the spending picture is needed before anything else happens. When asked to respond to the comments from rural Republicans, Roy said, "Get in a room, and figure out how to get the cuts we need across the board."

ONLY FOUR DEMS VOTE WITH GOP TO PASS DEFENSE POLICY BILL ROLLING BACK ABORTION POLICY, 'WOKE' INITIATIVES

"We need to stop spending money we don’t have, we need to cut the bureaucracy. You want more money in ag? Go take it from [Health and Human Services]. If you want more money in HHS, go take it from [Department of Homeland Security]. I mean, that’s the way you do your budget at home," Roy said.

On the abortion pill provision currently in the bill, Roy said, "It’s definitely a problem if that’s not taken care of."

Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., also challenged the notion that cuts the Freedom Caucus was seeking could be harmful, and suggested that specific reductions were suggested to House GOP leaders.

"The idea that there's no waste or bloat in the bureaucracy is ludicrous . . . in the [agriculture] bill, we have found some of it, quite a lot of it, actually," Cline told Fox News Digital. "We identified for leadership exactly where those areas are, and hopefully we can find a consensus that gets us across the finish line."

With Friday’s canceled vote, House lawmakers now have from Sept. 12 until Sept. 30 to pass the remaining 11 of 12 spending bills or some other form of appropriations for the next fiscal year, or risk a partial government shutdown. Earlier in the week, the House managed to pass a bill funding veterans and military construction, which reflects the broad GOP consensus for higher spending levels for veterans.

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., the leader of the Main Street Caucus and a top ally of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, downplayed the GOP discord and expressed confidence that the House GOP could come together in time.

"This is a pretty conservative Republican conference. Most of us ran explicitly, because we wanted to, in a meaningful way, address that $32 trillion debt. And we're not going to be able to get that done without some decisions that are going to pinch some pretty important programs," he said.

"Now, exactly what those reductions look like, and to exactly what programs, we're still working that out. But I would tell you, we're making progress. It's not going quickly in any given day. But every day, I feel a little bit better about our chances to get there."

Chip Roy trolls GOP colleague over Senate pages confrontation

Posted on (Updated by Nick Robertson

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) had a friendly ribbing for Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) on Friday, sharing photos of the Capitol Rotunda ceiling after Van Orden yelled at Senate pages who were resting on the rotunda floor Wednesday night.

“TGIF after a rough week, Senate Pages? I got a great photo, how about you?” Roy said on X, formerly Twitter.

Van Orden found a group of Senate pages — 16- and 17-year-olds who run messages and mail for the Senate — on the floor of the Capitol Rotunda. Pages generally rest in the rotunda when the Senate works late — as it did Wednesday night on National Defense Authorization Act Amendments.

When he saw the scene, he let loose on the teenagers, reportedly calling them "jackasses" and "little s----."

“Wake the f‑‑‑ up you little s‑‑‑‑. … What the f‑‑‑ are you all doing? Get the f‑‑‑ out of here. You are defiling the space you [pieces of s‑‑‑],” Van Orden said, according to the account provided by a page.

Van Orden later said he would not apologize, and that the teens were disrespecting the Capitol and its history by lying on the floor.

The incident has brought Van Orden under fire from his Senate colleagues, who defended the pages. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) addressed the incident on the Senate floor Thursday.

“I was shocked when I heard about it, and I am further shocked at his refusal to apologize to these young people,” he said.

“I can’t speak for the House of Representatives, but I do not think that one member’s disrespect is shared by this body, by [Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)] and myself.”

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters Friday that he would talk to Van Orden about the incident.

Biden suggests Republicans will impeach him because inflation is down

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Biden on Friday suggested that Republicans will impeach him because inflation has come down so much that his opponents can no longer attack the Biden economy.

The president made those remarks in Auburn, Maine, where he delivered a stump speech arguing that "Bidenomics" is strengthening the middle class, creating jobs and bringing inflation down. 

"In fact, we have the lowest rate of inflation among the world's major economies," Biden said. "While there's more work to do, earlier this week the Washington Post suggested that Republicans may have to find something else to criticize me for, now that inflation is coming down. 

"Maybe they'll decide to impeach me because it's coming down, I don't know," Biden said. "I love that one. Anyway, that's another story."

DOOR MAY BE OPEN TO IMPEACHING BIDEN FOR MISDEEDS COMMITTED PRIOR TO PRESIDENCY: LEGAL EXPERTS

House Republicans have floated launching an impeachment inquiry against Biden amid newly surfaced allegations that suggest his involvement in the business dealings his son, Hunter. Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has led House Oversight Committee investigations into the Biden family's allegedly corrupt business dealings for months, seeking evidence that Biden used his former office of vice president as leverage to enrich the family. 

The president has fallen directly at the center of that investigation in recent weeks as an unclassified FBI document — an FD-1023 form — was released, containing allegations that Joe Biden and Hunter Biden "coerced" the CEO of Burisma Holdings to pay them millions of dollars in exchange for their help in getting the Ukrainian prosecutor investigating the company fired.

That FD-1023 form is part of an ongoing federal investigation, law enforcement sources told Fox News Digital.

Biden's comments in Maine point to his strategy for a potential impeachment inquiry — to delegitimize the investigations as a last-ditch political effort by Republicans, who he will claim have run out of substantive issues to discuss ahead of the next election. 

TOP CONSERVATIVE GROUP DECLARES ‘BIDENOMICS IS BROKEN’ IN NATIONAL AD CAMPAIGN

Biden's case for re-election in 2024 rests on recent low unemployment numbers and GDP growth that he argues are the direct result of his policies. "Bidenomics" is the president's catch-all term for increased government spending, higher taxes on the wealthy and subsidies for the clean energy industry he claims will stimulate growth and create jobs. Bolstered by a strong economic report that showed GDP growth beat expectations and rose 2.4% in the second quarter of 2023, the president took credit for an improving economy.

"Yesterday, we learned the economy grew faster than expected last quarter. And this morning, we saw data showing that last month the annual rate of inflation continued to decline," Biden said Thursday. "So, inflation is now at its lowest point in two years, and wages are up after being adjusted for inflation." 

The president boasted that 13 million new jobs have been created since he assumed office, including 800,000 new manufacturing jobs. He noted that unemployment has been below 4% for the longest stretch in over 50 years, and declared that all jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic have now been recovered with higher pay and more job satisfaction. 

"I'm not here to declare victory on the economy. We have more work to do. We have a plan for turning things around," Biden said. "Bidenomics is just another way of saying restoring the American dream."

BIDEN SERVES WORD SALAD AT ‘KITCHEN TABLE’ ECONOMICS SPEECH

While recent economic indicators suggest the economy is improving, and fears of an imminent recession are fading, public opinion polling continues to indicate that Americans are giving Biden little credit. The president’s approval ratings on the economy remain deeply underwater in most surveys.

A Fox News national poll conducted last month indicated that most voters were unhappy with how things are going in the country and continued to rate economic conditions negatively. In addition, few voters believe they are gaining financial ground, according to the survey.

Fox News' Brooke Singman and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Rep. Dean Phillips mulls 2024 primary challenge against Biden

Posted on (Updated by Hanna Trudo

Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips (D) is toying with a potential 2024 primary challenge against President Biden, a development likely to bring additional scrutiny to the incumbent’s reelection campaign.  

A well-placed Democrat in the state confirmed to The Hill that Phillips is talking to various people about possibly mounting a White House challenge to Biden. 

“True in that he is talking to folks,” said the Minnesota Democrat on Friday, who hedged that Phillips hasn’t “definitively” decided to run. 

He would be the first Democratic lawmaker in either chamber of Congress to run against Biden this cycle.  

The news of his early thinking was initially reported by Politico. Phillips confirmed independently to CNN that he will meet with donors in New York City.

The idea Biden may have to face a Democratic competitor from Capitol Hill is notable. For one, Phillips is a moderate, bucking Democrats' more common concern that a progressive could primary him from the left. 

He’s also not a household name, like fellow centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), whose contemplation of a presidential run has been viewed with frustration by the party’s establishment. 

But a potential primary campaign from Phillips wouldn't entirely be a surprise. He’s at times been critical of Biden, even going as far as to say he shouldn’t run for a second term due in part to his age. At 54, Phillips is 26 years younger than the 80-year-old president.

A campaign spokesperson for Phillips did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Biden already has a handful of marginal primary challengers, including political heir Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and author Marianne Williamson. Neither has gotten enough traction to cause more than just headaches, though Democrats have recently gone after Kennedy more harshly for his inflammatory rhetoric. 

Democrats are also grappling with the unknowns that could come from philosopher Cornel West’s third-party presidential bid, which has frustrated those who see him as a potential spoiler candidate in the general election. 

A congressional challenger would add another layer of uncertainty to the race.

"Not sure what the upside is," the Minnesota Democrat said of a possible Phillips bid.

Biden: GOP may try to impeach me now that inflation is cooling

Posted on (Updated by Brett Samuels

President Biden on Friday touted the strength of the economy, suggesting during a speech in Maine that Republicans would move to impeach him because of progress on inflation.

Biden made his first visit to Maine since taking office, where he spoke at Auburn Manufacturing Inc., a textile manufacturer. The president’s trip was intended to highlight positive economic numbers and reinforce the White House’s belief that Biden’s policies are responsible for easing inflation and growing consumer confidence.

“While there’s more work ahead, earlier this week The Washington Post suggested Republicans may have to find something else to criticize me for now that inflation is coming down,” Biden said. “Maybe they’ll decide to impeach me because it’s coming down. I don’t know. I love that one. Anyway, that’s another story.”

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) earlier this week said he expects the House GOP’s investigations into the foreign business activities of Biden’s family to rise to the level of an impeachment inquiry. He later said House lawmakers would carry on with their investigations into the president and his family, as well as the president’s handling of the border.

Some House Republicans have been agitating for impeaching Biden for months, though many Republican senators have cautioned against moving forward with such a measure.

While in Maine, Biden signed an executive order to incentivize creating new inventions in the U.S. when those inventions are developed using taxpayer dollars. The order also aims to improve transparency to better track progress toward domestic manufacturing goals.

The White House has spent the past month pushing the message around “Bidenomics,” seeking to tie the president closely to an economy that has continued to show signs of strength.

The economy grew at a 2.4-percent rate in the second quarter in a surprisingly strong showing, according to data released this week.

In addition, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, a measure of inflation, rose 3 percent from June 2022 to June 2023, down from a 3.8 percent annual increase in May, the Commerce Department announced Friday. 

Core PCE, which excludes more volatile food and energy costs, cooled from 4.6 percent year-over-year in May to 4.1 percent in June.

"I’m not here to declare victory on the economy. We have more work to do. We have a plan for turning things around," Biden said Friday. "Bidenomics is just another way of saying, ‘Restoring the American dream.’”

Democrat mocks Greene after call for decorum: ‘She showed us a d‑‑‑ pic last week’

Posted on (Updated by Julia Shapero

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) mocked Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) call for decorum at a House subcommittee hearing Thursday, pointing to the congresswoman’s presentation of sexually explicit posters on a separate panel last week.

“Marjorie needs to remember she showed us a d‑‑‑ pic last week,” Garcia tweeted Thursday after Greene interrupted his remarks at a hearing on COVID-19 vaccine mandates to call for decorum.

The California Democrat displayed a tweet from Greene at the hearing, in which she compared vaccine and mask mandates to the yellow Star of David that Jews were required to wear by the Nazis in the lead-up to the Holocaust.

“We have seen this tweet behind us before,” Garcia said Thursday, gesturing to a poster of the tweet. “And this person, of course, sits on this very committee, who just actually gave some very irresponsible facts to our witnesses and the committee as well.”

“But just like [Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] and other conspiracy theorists, members of this committee continue and continue to attack vaccines,” he added. 

Greene interrupted Garcia to make a point of order and asked that members “be reminded of the rules of decorum.”

Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), who serves as the chairman of the Oversight Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, appeared to read off a pre-prepared statement on decorum in response to Greene’s request.

“While vigorous disagreement is part of the legislative process, members are reminded that we must adhere to established standards of decorum and debate,” Wenstrup said. “It is a violation of House rules and the rules of this committee to engage in personalities regarding other members or to question the motives of a colleague.”

Garcia later recalled Greene’s display at a House Oversight Committee hearing with two IRS whistleblowers last week. The Georgia Republican held up posters featuring graphic sexual photos from a laptop hard drive that purportedly belonged to Hunter Biden.

Several committee members, including Garcia, questioned whether such images should be displayed at the panel, which was hearing allegations about the government’s investigation into the president’s son.

“Today’s hearing is like most of the majority’s investigations and hearings: A lot of allegations, zero proof, no receipts — but apparently, some d‑‑‑ pics,” Garcia said at the time.

McCarthy to talk to Republican who yelled expletives at Senate pages

Posted on (Updated by Emily Brooks

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Friday said he plans to talk to Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) about his expletive-laced confrontation with teenage Senate pages early Thursday morning.

“I haven’t been able to speak to him yet. I’ll call him today. I don’t know the situation, I saw what was reported,” McCarthy told reporters Friday.

“That’s not the norm of Derrick Van Orden,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy said that he had spoken to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) about the incident with the pages, who assist Senate operations. The two congressional leaders had a pre-planned meeting Thursday afternoon to discuss government funding.

McCarthy said the whole incident might be a “misunderstanding.”

"I guess the interns have some ritual laying down, or something like that. I think it's a misunderstanding on all sides from what's going on,” McCarthy said.

A transcript written by a page minutes after the incident, and obtained by The Hill, recalled Van Orden calling a group of 16- and 17-year-old pages “jackasses” and “pieces of s‑‑‑” for lying in the Capitol rotunda early Thursday morning. The rotunda is a common spot for pages to relax when Senate business goes late.

Van Orden did not dispute the account of him cursing at Senate pages, telling The Hill that he thought the Capitol Rotunda should be “treated with a tremendous amount of respect for the dead” because it was used as a field hospital during the Civil War.

“If anyone had been laying a series of graves in Arlington National Cemetery, what do you think people would say?” Van Orden said.

Schumer said on the Senate floor Thursday that he was “shocked” when he heard about the incident.

“I am further shocked at his refusal to apologize to these young people,” Schumer said.

“I can’t speak for the House of Representatives, but I do not think that one member’s disrespect is shared by this body, by [Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)] and myself.”

McConnell said he agreed with Schumer.

“Everybody on this side of the aisle feels exactly the same way,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.

Punchbowl News first reported that Van Orden had yelled at the Senate pages.