Oversight Dems admit Hunter’s longtime business partner handled Biden’s finances throughout VP tenure

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: House Democrats acknowledged Wednesday that Hunter Biden’s then-business partner, Eric Schwerin, handled President Biden’s finances for the duration of his vice presidency.

A spokesperson for the Democrat minority of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability told Fox News Digital that Schwerin, the former president of Hunter’s Rosemont Seneca Advisors and a frequent visitor to the Obama-Biden White House, served as then-Vice President Biden’s "bookkeeper" from 2009 to 2017.

"Notably, Mr. Schwerin, who served as then-Vice President Biden’s bookkeeper from 2009 to 2017, explained that he was not aware of any transactions into or out of the then-Vice President’s bank account related to business conducted by any Biden family member," the spokesperson said in a statement.

The statement came after Fox News Digital inquired about a section of the White House’s lengthy memo to the media on Wednesday as it scrambles to respond to House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

‘MONEY GUY’: THIS HUNTER BIDEN BUSINESS PARTNER COULD BLOW THE LID OFF BIDEN FAMILY'S BUSINESS DEALINGS

The White House issued a memo that urged news outlets to ramp up scrutiny of the impeachment inquiry announced Tuesday by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who said House Republicans have "uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden's conduct."

The White House memo included a 14-page fact-check of Republicans’ claims made throughout the Biden investigation with regard to the president's purported role in his son's foreign business dealings and whether the Biden family used the former vice president’s public office for personal profit.

"Republicans’ own witnesses such as Eric Schwerin, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, said President Biden was not involved in their business dealings," the White House said on page 13 of the memo.

"’In a March 2023 interview with Republican and Democratic Committee staff, Mr. Schwerin told Committee staff he was not aware of any involvement by President Biden in the financial conduct of the President’s relatives’ businesses, much less any transactions into or out of the then-Vice President’s bank account related to business conducted by any Biden family member,’" the White House continued, citing a paragraph from the Oversight Democrats’ memo in May.

A person familiar with Schwerin's role in handling then-Vice President Biden's finances told Fox News Digital that Schwerin worked on Biden's personal budget and helped coordinate with his tax preparers.

The individual also pointed to the frequency of Schwerin's communications with Biden and his top aides and said it was "inevitable" Rosemont Seneca business came up in conversations.

ERIC SCHWERIN’S ROLE IN HUNTER BIDEN’S CHINESE BUSINESS DEALS COULD BE MISSING KEY IN GOP INVESTIGATIONS

A House Oversight spokesperson for the Republican majority told Fox News Digital that the committee "never interviewed Schwerin" as claimed by committee Democrats and later by the White House.

"This is false," the spokesperson said. "The Committee never interviewed Schwerin. There was a meeting but it was about document production. There has never been a transcribed interview or deposition."

The committee Democrats spokesperson fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying Schwerin, who Hunter previously admitted was a "close confidant and counsel" of then-Vice President Biden, was indeed interviewed by committee staff for multiple hours on March 31, 2023, following a request from Comer.

"In written correspondence to the Committee, Mr. Schwerin’s counsel described this as a ‘non-transcribed interview,’" the statement continued. "Majority and Minority staff had equal time and switched off asking Mr. Schwerin questions about his relationship with Hunter Biden, as well as the history, structure, and activities of Hunter Biden’s business entities, to which Mr. Schwerin responded."

Schwerin’s lawyer, however, told Fox News Digital that Schwerin was not technically a "bookkeeper" to the then-VP but rather he simply assisted the then-VP with his finances.

Fox News Digital has previously reported on Schwerin’s extensive ties to the Biden family, both personal and professional, and how he was instrumental in Hunter expanding his enterprise in China.

Peter Schweizer, the president of Government Accountability Institute and an expert on Hunter's business dealings, told "Sunday Morning Futures" host Maria Bartiromo last month that "Eric Schwerin was the money guy" in Hunter's business ventures.

Schwerin, who visited the Obama White House and then-Vice President Biden’s residence at least 36 times between 2009 and 2016, was also a founding partner and managing director of Hunter's now-dissolved firm Rosemont Seneca Partners. He was working with Hunter's firms when he was appointed in early 2015 by then-President Obama to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, an independent U.S. government agency.

Hunter’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, who was married to the president’s son from 1993 to 2017, revealed in a memoir in June 2022 that Schwerin "managed almost every aspect of our financial life."

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

Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison on federal gun charges

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Biden's son, Hunter Biden, was indicted Thursday on federal firearm charges and could face up to 25 years in prison, according to court documents.

Biden is facing three criminal counts, including making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm, which carries a maximum of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release, the documents show.

The second count, a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer, can garner up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

HUNTER BIDEN INDICTED ON FEDERAL GUN CHARGES

The third count, possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, can land up to a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release, according to the documents.

The counts combine to carry a maximum of 25 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. Special counsel David Weiss, a Donald Trump appointee, has overlooked the investigation.

Hunter Biden's charges follow his collapsed plea agreement in July. At the time, he was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax as part of a plea deal to avoid jail time on a felony gun charge.

The news of the charges come amid a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday said House Republicans have "uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden's conduct" that will serve as the basis of an impeachment inquiry.

"Today, I am directing our House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe," McCarthy announced in a statement at the Capitol Tuesday. "This logical next step will give our committees the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public."

Hunter's lawyer blasted the "MAGA Republicans’ improper and partisan interference in this process" in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

"As expected, prosecutors filed charges today that they deemed were not warranted just six weeks ago following a five-year investigation into this case," Hunter Biden's lawyer Abbe Lowell said. "The evidence in this matter has not changed in the last six weeks, but the law has and so has MAGA Republicans’ improper and partisan interference in this process."

Hunter Biden possessing an unloaded gun for 11 day was not a threat to public safety, but a prosecutor, with all the power imaginable, bending to political pressure presents a grave threat to our system of justice," he continued. "We believe these charges are barred by the agreement the prosecutors made with Mr. Biden, the recent rulings by several federal courts that this statute is unconstitutional, and the facts that he did not violate that law, and we plan to demonstrate all of that in court."

GOP rep calls for impeachment inquiry into Biden energy secretary Granholm: ‘she lied, under oath’

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney of New York called for Congress to launch an impeachment inquiry into Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Thursday for giving false testimony to Congress about her family's stock ownership.

Tenney called for the investigation during remarks, shared in advance to Fox News Digital, at a House Science and Technology Committee hearing where Granholm testified about her agency's science and technology priorities. Tenney, who is the first lawmaker to demand an impeachment inquiry into Granholm, cited a series of violations she said Granholm has made since taking office in 2021.

"Since taking office in January of 2021, Secretary Granholm has violated the Hatch Act multiple times," Tenney remarked during the hearing. "She owned Proterra stock while her boss, President Biden, repeatedly promoted the company. Her husband owned Ford stock while she personally promoted the companies’ work with official resources."

"And most critically, she lied, under oath, to Congress, claiming that you did not own any individual stocks when in fact she did. If anyone would like to dispute these charges, all the evidence you need is in the articles I submitted into the record," the New York Republican continued.

BIDEN ENERGY SECRETARY REVEALS STOCK OWNERSHIP OF EV LOBBY GROUP FOUNDING COMPANY

Tenney added that Granholm "chose to ignore the rules and lied to Congress under oath." She cited the Department of Energy's ethics guidelines which state that "public service is a public trust; employees must place loyalty to the Constitution, the laws, and ethical principles above private gain."

"That's perjury, period," Tenney continued. Why should you not resign or why should we not consider some kind of impeachment inquiry into you for your perjury charges?" Tenney said.

JOSH HAWLEY DEMANDS HEARING AFTER TOP BIDEN OFFICIAL ADMITS FALSE TESTIMONY ABOUT STOCK PURCHASES

In June, Granholm admitted in a letter to lawmakers that she falsely testified under oath during a Senate hearing in April that she didn't own any individual stocks.

While Granholm divested from a variety of stocks in 2021, she acknowledged in the letter — which was sent to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee leadership — that she maintained shares of six companies worth up to $120,000. On April 20, however, Granholm testified in response to a question from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., that she had sold all of her shares of individual companies.

In addition, Granholm said she discovered on May 13 that her husband Daniel Mulhern owned $2,457.89 worth of shares in Ford Motor Company. Those shares were then sold on May 15, a Monday, when the stock market opened.

"As a public servant, I take very seriously the commitment to hold myself to the highest ethical standards, and I regret the accidental omission of my spouse’s interest in Ford," Granholm wrote in the letter. "This is a commitment I made to you, the President, and most importantly the American people."

And in response to Tenney's questions Thursday, Granholm said she had made an honest mistake during the April hearing.

"Of course I do not believe it's okay to violate ethics laws. Nor does anyone else in the Department of Energy," Granholm told Tenney. "I made a mistake when I testified saying that I had sold all stock. I honestly thought we had."

Granholm has also sparked criticism for maintaining shares of electric vehicle maker Proterra after being confirmed to lead the Energy Department and while the White House promoted the company. She also violated the STOCK Act nine times by failing to disclose $240,000 worth of stock sales within the legally-mandated time frame.

And last year, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel found Granholm guilty of violating the Hatch Act during a 2021 interview where she explicitly endorsed Democratic Party candidates in her official capacity as energy secretary.

Comer to pursue Hunter, James Biden personal bank records as next step in impeachment inquiry

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer will pursue personal and business bank records belonging to Hunter Biden and James Biden as the next step in the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden, Fox News Digital has learned.

Comer, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, who are leading the formal House impeachment inquiry, briefed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on the status of their probe into Biden’s alleged corruption.

COMER DEMANDS STATE DEPT. EXPLAIN 'SUDDEN' DECISIONS LEADING TO FIRING OF UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR PROBING BURISMA

During the meeting Thursday morning, Comer, R-Ky., laid out House Republicans’ findings since July related to the president’s alleged involvement in his family’s business dealings, and next steps in their investigation.

A source familiar told Fox News Digital that Comer will now pursue bank records from the personal and business accounts belonging to the president’s son Hunter and his brother, James.

The source said Comer will also seek additional transcribed interviews with Hunter Biden business associates, including Eric Schwerin and Rob Walker.

DEVON ARCHER: HUNTER BIDEN, BURISMA EXECS ‘CALLED DC’ TO GET UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR FIRED

The source also told Fox News Digital that the House Oversight Committee could hold a public hearing related to the investigation in the coming weeks, but a witness for that expected hearing has not yet been decided.

Since July, the committee took a transcribed interview from Hunter Biden’s business associate Devon Archer, who claimed then-Vice President Joe Biden was "the brand" Hunter sold around the world to foreign business partners. Archer also testified that Biden joined conference calls with Hunter’s business partners and attended business dinners with his son’s foreign associates in Washington D.C.

HOUSE GOP RELEASE BANK RECORDS ON HUNTER BIDEN PAYMENTS FROM RUSSIAN, KAZAKH OLIGARCHS, TOTAL CLEARS $20M

Also this summer, Comer released the third bank records memo, revealing that the Biden family and their business associates received millions of dollars from oligarchs in Russia, Ukraine and Kazahkstan during the Obama administration. Those records revealed the family received more than $20 million from these business arrangements during that time period.

Comer has also sought information from the National Archives related to the Biden family’s alleged misuse of Air Force Two, and all unredacted documents in which Biden used a pseudonym—Robin Ware—to communicate with his son Hunter Biden.

WITNESS SAYS JOE BIDEN TALKED TO HUNTER’S BUSINESS ASSOCIATES; GOP SEES SMOKING GUN, DEMS DOWNPLAY

More broadly, Comer, Jordan and Smith have interviewed whistleblowers who allege politics influenced all prosecutorial decisions throughout the Justice Department’s years-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden. Those allegations led to Attorney General Merrick Garland granting U.S. Attorney from Delaware David Weiss—who has been leading the probe—special counsel authority.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Comer sought information from Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the "sudden foreign policy decisions" during the Obama administration that led to the dismissal of the Ukrainian prosecutor investigating Burisma Holdings while Hunter Biden sat on the board of the company.

The State Department has not yet turned over those records.

The White House maintains that President Biden was "never in business with his son."

McCarthy blasts White House memo to news outlets urging ‘scrutiny’ of impeachment inquiry

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Wednesday slammed the White House for "telling the press what to say" with a memo that urged stricter "scrutiny" of House Republicans' impeachment inquiry.

White House spokesperson Ian Sams wrote a letter to major news organizations Tuesday calling for the media "to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies." The letter came a day after McCarthy directed House Republicans to open an impeachment inquiry into Biden.

"It’s really concerning to me that the president, the White House is telling the press what to say. I think the press should be wanting to know the answers to, ‘Did the president know when he went to dinner with his son that he would get a Porsche?’" McCarthy told reporters Wednesday.

"Did he know when the son was selling the brand?" he continued. "That when he was talking and using an email address? That wasn’t his own name? So people couldn’t find it?

WHITE HOUSE SENDS LETTER TO MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS DEMANDING ‘SCRUTINY’ OF REPUBLICANS AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"Did he know when he was talking about the president of Ukraine, was that in referring to his son serving on the Burisma board with the prosecutor coming after them?"

McCarthy referenced several findings from the GOP-led investigations into the Biden family, including that Kazakhstani oligarch Kenes Rakishev wired $142,000 to Hunter Biden in April 2014 so he could buy a sports car. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., who is leading the impeachment inquiry, has alleged that payments the Bidens received through various foreign connections and shell companies were given for no services other than "access to the Biden network, including Joe Biden himself."

The White House has denied any wrongdoing. Sams' letter to news outlets insisted Republicans have provided no evidence that the president has committed a crime.

"It’s time for the media to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies," he wrote. "When even House Republicans are admitting that there is simply no evidence that Joe Biden did anything wrong, much less impeachable, that should set off alarm bells for news organizations."

HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY ANNOUNCES FORMAL IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY AGAINST PRESIDENT BIDEN

The letter continued: "For years, Republicans in Congress have tried to muddy the waters by attracting media coverage of their allegations, and as they choose to move forward with impeachment, it is the responsibility of the independent press to treat their claims with the appropriate scrutiny. Covering impeachment as a process story — Republicans say X, but the White House says Y — is a disservice to the American public who relies on the independent press to hold those in power accountable."

"House Republican leaders should be held accountable for the fact that they are lurching toward impeachment over allegations that are not only unfounded but, in virtually all cases, have been actively disproven — including by witnesses and documents in their own investigations, as well as years-old congressional probes and even the former President’s first impeachment inquiry," Sams added, and included a 14-page appendix he said addressed seven "key lies" the impeachment effort was based upon.

The letter was sent to some of the country's largest media organizations, including Fox News, CNN, The New York Times and others.

McCarthy on Tuesday said Republican congressional probes have uncovered allegations of "abuse of power, obstruction and corruption" against Biden that need further investigation.

WHITE HOUSE CALLED OUT FOR LETTER TO MEDIA URGING ‘SCRUTINY’ ON BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: ‘OUTRAGEOUS’

"Through our investigations, we have found that President Biden did lie to the American people about his own knowledge of his family's foreign business dealings. Eyewitnesses have testified that the president joined on multiple phone calls and had multiple interactions, dinners resulted in cars and millions of dollars into his sons and his son's business partners," McCarthy said.

"We know that bank records show that nearly $20 million in payments were directed to the Biden family members and associates through various shell companies. The Treasury Department alone has more than 150 transactions involving the Biden family," he continued. "Another business associates that were flagged as suspicious activity by U.S. banks. Even a trusted FBI informant has alleged a bribe to the Biden family. Biden used his official office to coordinate with Hunter Biden's business partners about Hunter's role in Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company."

House Oversight Chairman Comer said Wednesday the first impeachment inquiry hearing taking up these matters will happen later this month.

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.

Romney uses Biden’s own words against him, calls for president to join him in retirement: ‘Time to transition’

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, used President Biden's own words against him on Wednesday while calling on him to drop his 2024 bid for re-election and join him in retirement at the end of his term.

Romney's challenge to Biden comes just hours after the first-term senator officially announced he would not be seeking a second term, citing his own advanced age as his main reason for the decision.

"President Biden, when he was running, said he was a transitional figure to the next generation. Well, time to transition," Romney said when asked by a reporter if his decision not to run for re-election because of his age should also apply to Biden, 80, and former President Donald Trump, 77.

WATCH: KARINE JEAN-PIERRE RANTS AGAINST BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY, SNAPS AT REPORTER IN TESTY MOMENT

Romney's comments were in reference to Biden calling himself a "transition candidate" during his 2020 campaign for the presidency, something he later meant he would be someone who would help pave the way for a new generation of Democratic leadership.

"I think it would be a great thing if both President Biden and former President Trump were to stand aside and let their respective party pick someone in the next generation … I think both parties would be far better served if they were going to be represented by people other than those of us from the baby boom generation," he added.

Concern over Biden's age amid his re-election has continued to grow, even from within his own party. A recent Associated Press-NORC poll found 69% of Democrats think Biden is too old to run again.

WATCH: SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN GIVES ODD, ANIMATED REACTION TO NEWS OF BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

Romney's inclusion of Trump in his concern about the age of the two presidential front-runners joins that of Trump's closest rival in the Republican primary, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said during a recent interview on CBS that the former president's age was "a legitimate concern" for voters going into 2024.

The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

WATCH: Karine Jean-Pierre launches rant over Biden impeachment inquiry, snaps at reporter in testy moment

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre went off Wednesday when asked repeatedly about the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, even snapping at a reporter who tried to push back against her claim that the president "didn't do anything wrong."

The exchange occurred during the daily White House press briefing after Jean-Pierre was asked how confident she was that there would be no evidence incriminating Biden in his son Hunter's foreign business dealings, his alleged involvement in which has been the centerpiece of House Republicans' investigation into the family's finances.

"Any specifics to the inquiry, certainly — I want to say this at the top … I'm going to refer you to my colleagues at the counsel's office," Jean-Pierre responded, something she noted throughout the briefing when asked questions related to the inquiry.

DESANTIS SAYS TRUMP'S AGE, LIKE BIDEN'S, ‘LEGITIMATE CONCERN’ IN 2024 ELECTION

She attempted to deflect, referencing Biden's upcoming speech on "Bidenomics," and arguing it was part of the "real issues" the American people truly wanted to hear about, rather than Republicans' investigations.

"They have spent all year investigating the president. That's what they've spent all year doing and have turned up with no evidence, none, that he did anything wrong. I mean, that is what we've heard over and over again from their almost year-long investigation. And that's because the president didn't do anything wrong," she said.

New York Post reporter Steve Nelson attempted to push back against Jean-Pierre's claim, prompting her to snap at him.

WATCH: SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN GIVES ODD, ANIMATED REACTION TO NEWS OF BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"Even House Republicans have said the evidence does not exist. House Republicans have said that to my friend in the back who just yelled at, which is incredibly inappropriate," she said, appearing frustrated.

"But House Republicans have said that there doesn't — there doesn't — it doesn't exist. Their own investigations have actually debunked their ridiculous attacks. And the only reason Speaker McCarthy is doing this — is doing this political stunt — and we have seen it, you all have reported, is because Marjorie Taylor Greene has said — she threatened to shut down the government," she said.

Jean-Pierre went on, listing the Republicans she said were threatening House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's speakership, and calling the impeachment inquiry "baseless."

DEMS EMBROILED IN SCANDAL FOR SUPPORTING MASSIVE SPENDING BILL THAT GAVE LARGE SUMS TO THEIR OWN PRIVATE ORGS

McCarthy announced the formal impeachment inquiry on Tuesday, stating at a press conference that House Republicans had "uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden's conduct."

He listed allegations of "abuse of power, obstruction and corruption" made against Biden by several GOP-led committees who have been investigating the president and his family's foreign business dealings.

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announces formal impeachment inquiry against President Biden

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday said House Republicans have "uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden's conduct" that will serve as the basis of an impeachment inquiry.

The speaker said House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., will lead the inquiry in coordination with House Oversight Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo.

McCarthy spoke for only roughly three minutes and did not take questions from reporters. He made no mention of holding a floor vote before opening the impeachment inquiry, despite telling Breitbart earlier this month it would happen "through a vote on the floor of the People’s House and not through a declaration by one person."

MCCARTHY TO GREEN LIGHT BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY THIS WEEK

He listed allegations of "abuse of power, obstruction and corruption" made against Biden by several GOP-led committees who have been investigating the president.

"We know that bank records show that nearly $20 million in payments were directed to the Biden family members and associates through various Shell companies. The Treasury Department alone has more than 150 transactions involving the Biden family. Another business associates that were flagged as suspicious activity by U.S. banks. Even a trusted FBI informant has alleged a bribe to the Biden family. Biden used his official office to coordinate with Hunter Biden's business partners about Hunter's role in Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company," he continued.

MCCARTHY ‘DANGLING' BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY TO DELAY RECKONING OVER SPENDING, SOME CONSERVATIVES SAY

He concluded, "Finally, despite these serious allegations, it appears that the president's family has been offered special treatment by Biden's own administration. Treatment that not otherwise would have received if they were not related to the president. These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they want further investigation by the House of Representatives."

Earlier, Fox News confirmed that McCarthy will tell House Republicans today that beginning an impeachment inquiry against Biden is the "logical next step" for their investigations. An inquiry is the first step of the impeachment process, where evidence is gathered for the articles, or charges, of impeachment against an official.

The House GOP conference plans to hold a meeting on Thursday morning for key committee chairs to lay out their latest findings and the status of the investigations into the Biden family. The chairs of the committees overseeing the inquiry will brief rank-and-file lawmakers.

TOP OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT URGES COMER, REPUBLICANS TO SUBPOENA TRUMP'S SON-IN-LAW JARED KUSHNER

In a statement responding to McCarthy's announcement, White House spokesman for oversight and investigations Ian Sams blasted the effort as politically motivated.

"House Republicans have been investigating the President for 9 months, and they've turned up no evidence of wrongdoing. His own GOP members have said so. He vowed to hold a vote to open impeachment, now he flip flopped because he doesn't have support. Extreme politics at its worst," Sams wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Sources first told Fox News Digital in August that McCarthy planned to open an impeachment inquiry this month. There had been debate at the time over whether to first hold a floor vote in a show of GOP unity.

A House vote is not necessary to open an impeachment inquiry, but McCarthy had criticized former Speaker Nancy Pelosi for launching one into former President Donald Trump before formalizing it on the chamber floor.

McCarthy ‘dangling’ Biden impeachment inquiry to delay reckoning over spending, some conservatives say

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Some House conservatives are warily eyeing Speaker Kevin McCarthy as he ramps up rhetoric about a potential impeachment inquiry of President Biden, concerned he is "dangling" the suggestion over their heads to gain more wiggle room in the ongoing talks over government spending.

"It's almost as if the Speaker is trying to dangle the prospect of proceeding with an impeachment inquiry to attempt to leverage people to vote for a clean [continuing resolution] or other spending proposals that do not comply with the agreement made when we agreed to support him for Speaker in January," Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

"An impeachment inquiry is called for against Biden because of the evidence of corrupt dealing on behalf of his son," Bishop said, adding that he believes impeachment probes should also be opened against Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

"It should never be connected with the idea of trying to coerce members to vote for a spending provision that is otherwise unwarranted."

MCCARTHY SAYS BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY WOULD NEED HOUSE VOTE, IN DEPARTURE FROM PELOSI AND DEMOCRATS

The House does not return from August recess until next week, but battle lines are already being drawn over how to fund the government in the next fiscal year. The House Freedom Caucus and other conservatives have urged McCarthy to force deeper spending cuts and to attach GOP priorities to any short or long-term deal, though that’s unlikely to get Senate or White House approval.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have acknowledged that a continuing resolution, known as a CR, is likely needed as a temporary funding patch while a deal is hashed out. Federal funding runs out on Sept. 30, and taking no action before the deadline would risk a partial government shutdown. Conservatives have warned they will not vote for a "clean" CR that simply extends priorities of the previous Democrat-controlled Congress.

HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERS WANT TO LAUNCH BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY NEXT MONTH, SOURCES SAY

Meanwhile, two sources told Fox News Digital in August that McCarthy has also floated the possibility of holding a floor vote sometime in September to open a Biden impeachment inquiry.

"He's using impeachment to distract from the issues that he has with the appropriations bills," one GOP lawmaker said at the time.

McCarthy has not given any public indication of when he’d hold an impeachment inquiry vote, but he told "Mornings With Maria" last month that impeachment was a "natural step forward" in the investigative process. He told Breitbart recently that a vote is a necessary step before proceeding with the inquiry.

The conservative lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital were largely supportive of a Biden impeachment inquiry, but many were still hesitant to trust McCarthy after claiming the GOP got "rolled" in the debt limit deal.

"The American people will not be fooled into believing that talking about impeachment inquiry in some way diminishes our responsibility to cut spending," Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., told Fox News Digital. Good supports impeaching Biden over the border crisis, he said. "Do I think there is the possibility, if not the probability, that it's intended to be a distraction? I would agree with it, or there is that possibility. However, it’s not fooling anyone."

SPEAKER MCCARTHY SAYS BIDEN TURNED US POLITICS INTO A 'CULTURE OF CORRUPTION' AS IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY INCHES

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, policy chief of the House Freedom Caucus, fired off a warning shot at House GOP leaders over the weekend: "To the [House GOP] – hiding behind impeachment to screw America with status quo massive funding…will not end well."

Fox News Digital reached out to McCarthy's office but did not immediately hear back.

But not all conservatives are on the same page. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a McCarthy ally, indicated she could support a spending deal that is tied to a Biden impeachment inquiry vote.

Meanwhile, Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., a member of both the Judiciary and Appropriations committees, told Fox News Digital that House Republicans can "walk and chew gum at the same time."

"I think both tracks, the spending track and the investigatory track, are on separate courses that are heating up at precisely the same time. But that is really more just happenstance of the calendar rather than anything else," Cline said of the timing.

"I'm confident that we always knew that it will be a challenge to finish our appropriations process by Oct. 1. Had we started from more conservative positions than the debt limit agreement gave us, I think we would have passed most, if not all, of the appropriations bills by now," he said. "But the investigatory track is dependent on the administration's cooperation, or lack thereof, and that's why we are just beginning to find out truly the extent to which [Biden] engaged pay-to-play operation with agents and companies affiliated with foreign adversaries."

White House blasts GOP for looming shutdown, says it could hurt fentanyl fight: ‘Lives are at stake’

Posted on September 5, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

The White House is claiming that "lives are at stake" as it pushes Republicans to continue funding the government, warning that a potential government shutdown could affect efforts to combat the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.

"Now, House Republicans have a stark choice to make: will they honor their word, meet their responsibility to avoid a shutdown, and act on life and death priorities like fighting the fentanyl crisis?" White House deputy press secretary and senior communications advisor Andrew Bates said in a memo.

The memo comes as Congress and the Biden administration face a looming government shutdown if the government is not funded beyond Sept. 30. President Biden and congressional leaders are eyeing a possible continuing resolution to keep the government open in the short term while larger spending budgets can be debated. However, the new push from the White House is part of an effort to highlight the damage that could be caused if certain funding dries up.

WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL $450 MILLION IN FUNDING TO FIGHT OPIOID EPIDEMIC

The White House announced a new tranche of $450 million in funding last week focused on treatment and prevention efforts within the U.S. to stop the opioid crisis — which is linked to 100,000 deaths in 2022. It has also requested approximately $800 million as part of the $40 billion supplemental budget request.

"President Biden is urging Congress to provide $800 million to fight fentanyl trafficking and counter the deadly substance being illegally imported from China," Bates said.

Illicit fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, can be fatal in tiny doses and is primarily created in Mexico using Chinese precursors before being moved across the U.S. land border. The drug is frequently pressed into fake pills, so users do not know what they are ingesting.

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Republicans have linked the fentanyl crisis to what they see as a porous southern border and a migrant crisis they blame on the policies of the Biden administration. The administration has said it is taking an approach that both targets trafficking and treats addiction, an approach it says is showing results.

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Some conservative Republicans in the House have opposed any "clean" continuing resolution to keep the government open past Sept. 30, seeing it as an extension of Democratic funding priorities passed under the last Congress. Instead, they want certain demands met, including a House-passed border security bill that Republicans say would also target the fentanyl crisis by securing the southern border.

Meanwhile, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has said she would not vote for any government funding if the House GOP leadership does not open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. Greene has been attacked by name by the White House, including in the memo Tuesday.

"The White House is attacking me for demanding an impeachment inquiry before I’ll vote to fund one penny to our over bloated $32 TRILLION dollar in debt failing government," Greene wrote in a thread on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Bates’ memo highlighted past comments from Republicans in the caucus, who have called the fentanyl scourge an urgent and pressing crisis affecting the whole nation. It also pointed to polling showing that combating the spread of fentanyl was a top priority for many American voters.

"The DEA, Border Patrol, and Department of Homeland Security need the anti-fentanyl funding President Biden is seeking," Bates said. "Lives are at stake."

Fox News' Liz Elkind contributed to this report.