Congress reacts to House approving Biden impeachment inquiry
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Month: December 2023
Fox News Politics: WH prickles at ‘baseless,’ ‘no evidence’ Biden impeachment
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What's happening:
- New York court rejects Trump's appeal of gag order…
- Former prosecutor who allegedly scuttled Hunter Biden probe ‘refused’ to answer Judiciary Committee questions…
- Senate delays Christmas break to work on border deal…
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blew up Thursday when pressed by a reporter on President Biden "lying" about past interactions with his son Hunter's business associates, declaring there was "no evidence" the president did anything wrong.
Jean-Pierre also lashed out at House Republicans over the vote to approve an official impeachment inquiry against Biden, accusing them of "wasting their time," but the interaction began with New York Post reporter Steven Nelson asking why Biden interacted with so many of his family's business associates, which contributed to the inquiry's launch.
"What we're seeing from House Republicans is wasted time. And it is certainly, you know, a baseless political slant. That's what we're seeing. And they're leaving. House Republicans are leaving this week to go, you know, enjoy a nice holiday. Right? As most Americans should. But what happened to the funding to Ukraine?" Jean-Pierre responded.
Earlier Thursday, the White House said House Republicans were "dithering" by leaving for Christmas break without approving additional Ukriane funding, aid to Israel, or addressing the border.
‘HE’S WORRIED': Biden reportedly lashes out at some aides who bring up Hunter Biden …Read more
TWO TO TANGO: Dance troupe in bizarre White House Christmas video has a history of far-left activism ...Read more
'LUNATICS': Energy experts blast John Kerry's UN act shutting down fossil fuels …Read more
BIG BUCKS: Hunter Biden claimed he didn't 'stand to gain anything' in controversial Burisma role despite making millions …Read more
BOWING OUT: Georgia GOP Rep. Drew Ferguson joins growing list of politicians departing Congress after 2024 …Read more
'DELUSIONAL': GOP lawmakers skeptical about voting on border deal as Dems threaten to delay Christmas break …Read more
'SILENT EPIDEMIC: Senate report sounds alarm on surge in fentanyl deaths among older Americans …Read more
APATHY WINS: Just 1 in 4 Michigan Democrats enthusiastic about Biden being the nominee: poll …Read more
STRIKE IT DOWN: Ramaswamy says SCOTUS should strike down FDA approval of abortion pill …Read more
FRIENDLY FIRE: Newsom pressed on San Francisco's homeless woes in late-night stop: 'Can't blame it on conservatives’ …Read more
POWERED UP: Dem, Republican unleash effort to loosen China's stranglehold on EV supplies amid Biden's green energy push …Read more
'ABSOLUTE EMBARRASSMENT': Critics demolish liberal DC mayor for forgetting where her own city's metro lines go …Read more
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EXCLUSIVE INVITE: Boston mayor defends excluding White people from holiday party …Read more
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Andy Biggs calls for contempt charges against Eric Swalwell for aiding Hunter Biden
EXCLUSIVE: A GOP lawmaker on the House Oversight Committee is calling for Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., to be punished by Congress for helping Hunter Biden on Wednesday morning.
Swalwell had reserved a spot outside the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol where Hunter Biden later made a brief statement to the press before skipping a planned deposition by the House Oversight Committee.
"Nobody gets to do that," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital of Hunter Biden's deliberate absence. "He was sent subpoenas. He was told to appear."
"We're going to vote to hold him in contempt. We probably need to vote Eric Swalwell in contempt, because the rumor is that Mr. Swalwell aided and abetted him by setting up his facilities so he could have his [press] conference across the way."
Swalwell admitted to Politico on Wednesday that he had reserved the spot for Hunter Biden, telling the outlet, "There is absolutely zero evidence Hunter or his father acted corruptly. . . . So I’m not going to sit quietly and let MAGA Republicans do Trump’s bidding in Congress."
Fox News Digital reached out to his office for comment but did not immediately hear back.
House Republicans are seeking to hear from Hunter Biden and the president's brother James Biden as part of their probe into whether President Biden committed any impeachable offenses. They suspect that he used his position as vice president in the Obama administration to enrich himself and his family.
Lawmakers wanted to hear from Hunter Biden in detail about his involvement with foreign businesses in China and Ukraine. He is also currently under federal investigation over tax and firearms charges.
If the House holds Hunter Biden in contempt over skipping his deposition, which Biggs called for, the conservative Republican argued that precedent should compel Attorney General Merrick Garland to charge him.
"He went after Steve Bannon and several others. He should go after Mr. Biden as well," Biggs said, citing Bannon's contempt charge for failing to cooperate with the now-defunct January 6 select committee's investigation.
"We were all sitting there. We had a court reporter there, Democrats were there. Republicans were there. We were ready . . . Mr. Biden chose not to come."
A defiant Hunter Biden told reporters on Wednesday morning, "For six years, I have been the target of the unrelenting Trump attack machine, shouting, ‘Where’s Hunter?’ Well, here’s my answer: I am here,"
"I am here to testify at a public hearing, today, to answer any of the committees’ legitimate questions. Republicans do not want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, expose their baseless inquiry or hear what I have to say," he said.
Jayapal tells fellow Dems not to ‘out-Republican the Republicans’ on immigration amid funding talks
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., on Thursday scolded fellow members of her party for trying to "out-Republican the Republicans" on immigration, as Democrats and the Biden administration tried to find common ground on border security measures as part of an emergency supplemental funding deal.
A number of Democrats have expressed concern over a CBS News report which said the White House was open to a number of policy proposals on the border to get its supplemental funding request for the border, Ukraine and Israel passed. Those included a Title 42-style authority allowing for rapid expulsions at the border, increased detention and nationwide expedited removal.
Republicans – who had demanded stricter border security measures to combat the ongoing migrant crisis – have said there have been positive signs from the talks and suggested a deal could be within reach. But left-wing Democrats and immigration activists have accused the White House of "selling out" migrants and asylum seekers.
CONSERVATIVE GROUPS, EX-BORDER OFFICIALS DEMAND LAWMAKERS REJECT ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ BORDER COMPROMISE
Jayapal, the chair of the House Progressive Caucus, responded on X, formerly Twitter, to a tweet by Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent, who said sarcastically that Republicans had promised not to attack President Biden over the border as part of the deal.
"Exactly the problem that I have watched for decades," Jayapal said. "Dems try to out-Republican the Republicans on anti-immigration policies, mistakenly thinking that GOP will thank us for ‘fixing the border.’ NEWSFLASH: This is same party that just voted for [Biden’s] impeachment inquiry."
She went on to claim that Republicans have no interest in fixing the immigration system.
REPUBLICANS SEE PROGRESS IN BORDER TALKS, BUT UNCLEAR IF DEAL WITHIN REACH AS CRISIS RAGES
"It has been too politically valuable to have immigrants to blame for everything. Giving in to this hostage taking just encourages them to do more of it and not stop till they have destroyed immigration as we know it," she said.
DEMOCRATS FUME OVER REPORTED BIDEN OFFER TO REINSTATE TITLE 42-TYPE MIGRANT EXPULSIONS
She then said Republicans are hoping to break apart the coalition that elected Biden in 2020, warning that swing voters will "swing right out to the couch" if they feel betrayed. She also said the proposals would only make things worse at the border.
"We'll go into 2024 with continued xenophobic Trumpian attacks, a completely demoralized base that won't vote over betrayals, & a decimated asylum system that cuts against our core," she said.
"We'll never out-Republican the Republicans – nor should we want to. All we'll do is create more chaos in an already-broken immigration system, deny people seeking to escape horrific conditions the right to seek asylum & lose voters who trusted us to stand up for them. Enough," she said.
She then renewed Democrat calls to abolish the Senate filibuster, expand "legal pathways" and pass "real comprehensive immigration reform."
The posts came as the clock ticks down on a potential deal, with lawmakers expected to depart Washington on Thursday. Meanwhile, a number of conservatives have also expressed concern about the deal, demanding that the entirety of the House GOP border legislation passed earlier this year be included.
On Friday, other lawmakers also expressed concern about getting a deal done before lawmakers break for the holidays.
"The small group negotiating a ‘deal’ in secret may reach agreement among themselves, but then we will need time to review it and determine whether it will actually solve the problem and has any chance of passing in the House," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said on X.
Why a Formal Impeachment Inquiry Is Now Necessary
To make the serious allegations against the Bidens penetrate the public consciousness, Republicans must stage their own show.
Karine Jean-Pierre blows up when pressed on Biden connection to Hunter’s business dealings: ‘No evidence!’
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blew up Thursday when pressed by a reporter on President Biden "lying" about past interactions with his son Hunter's business associates, declaring there was "no evidence" the president did anything wrong.
Jean-Pierre also lashed out at House Republicans over the vote to approve an official impeachment inquiry against Biden, accusing them of "wasting their time," but the interaction began with New York Post reporter Steven Nelson asking why Biden interacted with so many of his family's business associates, which contributed to the inquiry's launch.
"What we're seeing from House Republicans is wasted time. And it is certainly, you know, a baseless political slant. That's what we're seeing. And they're leaving. House Republicans are leaving this week to go, you know, enjoy a nice holiday. Right? As most Americans should. But what happened to the funding to Ukraine?" Jean-Pierre responded.
She listed a number of other policy topics, including the border and potential government shutdown next year, and claimed Republicans had not done anything to help Democrats address those problems.
"There's been zero evidence, zero evidence. You can ask me about engagement and what the president has done with his family in conversation. But there's no evidence," Jean-Pierre said.
Nelson attempted to push back, but Jean-Pierre stopped him.
"Wait, wait. But there's no evidence. There is no evidence that the president has done wrongdoing. There's none. Absolutely none. None. And that is just a fact. You've heard it from Republicans themselves. So they're wasting their time. Instead of doing the work on behalf of the American people, they go after the president's family. But that's a waste of time," she said.
WATCH: WHITE HOUSE SAYS BIDEN ‘PROUD’ OF HUNTER DESPITE MOUNTING LEGAL ISSUES, SUBPOENA DEFIANCE
Nelson noted that there was an easy counter to her claim, that there was evidence to show Biden had interacted with those associates, and that he was "lying" about it.
"The president is not lying about anything as it relates to what House Republicans are trying to do. It is baseless. It is a political stunt. And it has not proven that the president has done anything wrong, anything wrong. And so they are wasting their time. They are wasting the American people's time," Jean-Pierre responded.
"What they should be doing is the things that I just listed. They're going to go home, but they haven't taken care of what — We need to make sure that we are helping Ukraine. There's going to be potentially a shutdown next month. They have done nothing, nothing to avert that shutdown," she said before moving on to another reporter.
SUPPORT FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY GROWS WITH A NOTABLE LEVEL OF DEMOCRAT BACKING: POLL
Last week, Biden was pressed during a press conference about why he interacted with "so many" of his son and brother's foreign business associates, but he denied having any such interactions, despite evidence to the contrary.
"I'm not going to comment. I did not, and it's just a bunch of lies," Biden responded. "They're lies. I did not. They're lies."
One of Hunter's former business associates reacted to President Biden's comments by telling Fox News Digital that his claim was "complete malarkey" and said there is "plenty of evidence" to refute his denial.
Vulnerable House Republicans jump on Trump train with impeachment vote
House Republicans unanimously voted on Wednesday to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, despite no evidence of any high crimes or misdemeanors by the president. Also despite the fact that the face of their effort, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, has become a national laughingstock because of it.
But this isn’t about Biden. It’s about proving loyalty to Donald Trump, and plenty of Republicans will happily admit that. For example, when Rolling Stone asked what Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas hopes to gain through this, Nehls replied, “All I can say is Donald J. Trump 2024, baby.” GOP Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee made it clear they're doing the MAGA base’s bidding: “If we don’t go down these impeachment routes, a huge part of America is going to just say, ‘You know, we’re not supporting Republicans any more.’” In other words, they’re afraid of the MAGA base.
That makes the decision of the group now known as the “Biden 17” (following the expulsion of Rep. George Santos) even more questionable. For the 17 House Republicans who occupy districts that voted for Biden in 2020, it couldn’t be clearer that this is all about fealty to Trump, and they all happily signed on. They weren’t necessarily happy to talk about it, however.
Rep. Michelle Steel of California declined to talk to The Orange County Register about her vote at all. In a statement to the paper, California Rep. Young Kim pretended there was some higher principle involved about oversight: “This inquiry allows relevant committees to get more information on serious allegations, follow the facts and be transparent with the American people.” She also made it clear that she doesn’t sit on the committees, so it’s not her idea. But she voted for it anyway.
The New York freshmen among the Biden 17 were all for Trump, too. They also tried to dress it up and make it sound legitimate. “I think that the President needs to be held accountable and that there needs to be answers to some very serious questions regarding impropriety,” said Rep. Marc Molinaro. A spokesman for Rep. Anthony D’Esposito said they need to advance “this inquiry in a level-headed manner” because the allegations about Biden are “troubling.” Rep. Mike Lawler tried to minimize the vote. “Impeachment is a far ways off, but the inquiry is important,” he said.
Impeachment is entirely likely with this crew in the House. A conviction isn’t going to happen. The Senate won’t do that. There are few Republicans in the Senate who will straight-up endorse the idea without qualifications
They largely understand that while the MAGA base might be all wound up for it, the voting public as a whole is lukewarm about the idea at best, according to a recent Morning Consult poll. That includes independent votes, a plurality of which—43%—say the inquiry should not happen. Now that the inquiry is official, it seems likely that the non-MAGA American public is going to sour on it.
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Campaign ActionJordan says former prosecutor who allegedly scuttled Hunter investigation ‘refused’ to answer questions
Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said Lesley Wolf, the federal prosecutor accused of limiting questions during a Hunter Biden probe, refused to answer questions during a closed-door interview with House members Thursday.
"Miss Wolf refused to answer most of our questions," Jordan told reporters following the interview with Wolf, who was subpoenaed in November to appear before the panel.
"She refused to answer based on instructions she was given from the Justice Department," Jordan said.
Wolf told the panel that she did not receive any additional instructions from DOJ after the House voted Wednesday night to formalize the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, Jordan said.
According to IRS whistleblowers, Wolf was involved in alleged political influence surrounding prosecutorial decisions throughout the Hunter Biden investigation, which began in 2018.
Gary Shapley — who led the IRS’ portion of the Hunter Biden probe — alleged that Wolf sought to block investigators from asking questions related to President Biden throughout the yearslong federal investigation into his son, Hunter Biden.
Specifically, Shapley alleged that Wolf worked to "limit" questioning related to President Biden and apparent references to Biden as "dad" or "the big guy."
Despite Wolf not answering questions, Jordan said the core of the whistleblower allegations have been proved correct since they first came forward earlier this year.
"I will say this, and this has proved true now for months, Mr. Shapley, Mr. [Joseph ] Ziegler's testimony continues to be, you know, just as accurate as can be. No one has refuted that," Jordan said.
Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said the interview with Wolf was a waste of time and showed Republicans were "desperate" to find something to justify an impeachment inquiry of Biden.
COMER, JORDAN DEMAND HUNTER BIDEN APPEAR FOR DEPOSITION, SAY HE WILL NOT RECEIVE 'SPECIAL TREATMENT'
"I think this is why Hunter Biden decided to require, to demand a public opportunity to make his testimony available to Americans across the country," Ivey told reporters following the meeting. "What took place upstairs was a huge waste of time. They kept asking questions about documents that they knew she couldn't comment on," Ivey said.
"So I think it's unfortunate they're dragging in people who -- she's not even a government employee anymore. But they're still making her go through these motions because they're still in the middle of this desperate search to try and find something that can justify the impeachment inquiry they just launched yesterday, but I think they're gonna keep coming up with dry holes."
Fox News reported Thursday morning that Wolf is no longer employed by the Justice Department. A source told Fox that she had longstanding plans to move on from the agency.
At the time of the investigation into Hunter Biden, Wolf was assistant U.S. attorney in Delaware.
In October 2020, Wolf reviewed an affidavit for a search warrant of Hunter Biden’s residence and "agreed that probable cause had been achieved," according to Shapley. However, Shapley said Wolf ultimately would not allow a physical search warrant on the president’s son.
Shapley said Wolf determined there was "enough probable cause for the physical search warrant there, but the question was whether the juice was worth the squeeze."
Hunter Biden defied his subpoena to appear for a deposition at the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Instead, he made a public statement on Capitol Hill, blasting the Republican impeachment inquiry and saying his father was "not financially involved" in his business dealings.
Comer and Jordan have threatened to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress.
Hunter Biden's public statement Wednesday came just days after he was charged out of Special Counsel David Weiss' investigation.
Weiss alleged Hunter Biden was engaged in a "four-year scheme" when the president's son did not pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports. Weiss filed the charges in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The charges break down to three felonies and six misdemeanors concerning $1.4 million in owed taxes that were since paid.
Weiss also indicted Hunter Biden in September on federal gun charges, to which the president's son has pleaded not guilty. Biden's defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, this week moved to dismiss those charges altogether.
Weiss' investigation is ongoing.
Dance company featured in Jill Biden’s Christmas video promotes ‘prison abolition,’ ‘defund the police’ groups
The New York City tap dancing troupe enlisted by first lady Jill Biden for a Christmas video promotes controversial far-left ideologies, including abolishing prisons and defunding the police.
The first lady got lit up on Twitter over her Wednesday video featuring Dorrance Dance performing a "playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite" in the White House.
However, outside the candy-coating, Dorrance Dance promotes controversial policies, including "prison abolition."
FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN BLASTED OVER ‘BIZARRE’ WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS VIDEO: ‘UNITED STATES OF BANANAS’
Dorrance Dance's "take action for justice [and] change" website page pushes readers to join their local Black Lives Matter or Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) chapters while including a quote from SURJ directly below it on their website.
"In this moment, we know there are thousands of white people who are looking for direction and a way to show up alongside black communities and communities of color. Welcome," the quote reads. "You are needed. Here are a few ways to start showing up – not just in words but in action."
The quote was pulled from SURJ's May 2020 Medium article, "5 Ways White People Can Take Action in Response to White and State-Sanctioned Violence."
On the same page, Dorrance Dance pushes readers to "get involved" in "prison abolition" work while pointing users to far-left organizations, including M4BL – which advocates for defunding the police.
Additionally, the organization pushes website users toward the organization Critical Resistance, which "seeks to build an international movement to end the prison industrial complex (PIC) by challenging the belief that caging and controlling people makes us safe," as well as INCITE! – a "network of radical feminists of color organizing to end state violence and violence in our homes and communities."
INCITE! also pushes allegations of "genocide" against the Israeli government on their homepage, which reads "free Palestine" at the top and pushes a digital poster for download reading, "feminists of color rise up free Palestine."
Additionally, Dorrance Dance's "educate yourself" page provides resources for "those who are investigating or have questions about white privilege, systemic racism, white fragility, and anti-racism for the very first time."
Biden's video of Dorrance Dance was bashed online after it was posted on Wednesday.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the first lady shared the video from the official @FLOTUS account, along with a caption.
"A bit of magic, wonder, and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance, performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite. Enjoy!" the first lady's post read.
But social media observers didn't seem to be enjoying the musical content.
The video was filled with smiling dancers in brightly colored costumes, prancing and tapping all over the White House, but many viewers described the video as nothing remotely close to a Christmas theme.
The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment from the first lady on Dorrance Dance's support of the controversial policies.
The White House also did not answer Fox News Digital's questions on whether the first lady was aware of Dorrance Dance's support of these policies when she enlisted them for the video or how much the performance potentially cost taxpayers.
Dorrance Dance also did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
Congress wraps for the year, after giving Putin a Christmas gift
The Republican House got out of town in record speed Thursday morning with its last vote of the year, passing the final $886 billion defense policy bill agreed to by Senate and House negotiators earlier this month. The Senate cleared the bill Wednesday, so it’s off to the White House for President Joe Biden’s signature.
Speaker Mike Johnson is slinking out of D.C. without giving the traditional end-of-year press conference. He hasn’t had a stellar few months in leadership, having already pissed off the hard right in his conference, so it’s hard to blame him for avoiding the ritual listing of accomplishments. That and he hasn’t really had any to talk about, other than the impeachment circus. In contrast, ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy celebrated his last day in Congress with a photo line for members and staffers.
What that means is Congress will leave for the year without providing aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan because of Republican opposition. Senate Republicans have refused to consider the aid package, extorting extreme immigration concessions for their votes. They have been dragging out the negotiations, seemingly plotting with Johnson and House Republicans to ensure that the issue be pushed off to January. Once the House adjourned for the year, any agreement the Senate came up with couldn’t be passed anyway, Republicans argued.
That’s after Biden made an offer conceding to many of the Senate Republicans immigration demands. Nothing was in writing, and Republicans initially scoffed at the offer. The problem for Biden is that the delay means opposition to his immigration concessions can harden among Democrats. The 42-member Congressional Hispanic Caucus held a press conference Wednesday to voice their opposition and tell Biden to reject the Republicans’ demands.
“Republicans are pitting vulnerable groups against each other to strong-arm policies that will exacerbate chaos at the southern border,” said Caucus Chair Nanette Barragán of California. “We are urging the Biden administration to say no. Do not take the bait.” Barragán also pointed out that the “negotiations are taking place without a single Latino at the table, without a single CHC member at the table, and not even consultation or engagement with our Latino lawmakers.”
Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico reiterated that issue in an interview with Punchbowl News. “I do not see any Latino or Latina advocates at that table who are part of this conversation that are shaping this policy,” said Luján, who has also expressed his concerns about Israel’s war in Gaza.
The only one who is happy right now seems to be Russian President Vladimir Putin, who crowed in a press conference Thursday that "Ukraine produces almost nothing today, everything is coming from the west, but the free stuff is going to run out some day, and it seems it already is.”
Merry Christmas, Mr. Putin, from your friends in the GOP.
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