Category: fox-news/politics/executive/white-house

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

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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.

DHS TO LAUNCH ‘NATIONAL CAMPAIGN’ TO GET SOME MIGRANTS WORK PERMITS

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. 

FREEDOM CAUCUS POURS GASOLINE ON CONGRESS' HEATED SPENDING FIGHT AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FEARS GROW

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.

MTG says White House ‘attacking’ her for holding out government funding vote until impeachment inquiry begins

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Saturday pushed back on criticism from the White House over her recent comments saying she would vote against funding the government if the House of Representatives does not open an impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

House Republicans are considering a vote on whether to open an impeachment inquiry into the president over allegations of corruption for overseas business dealings with his son Hunter Biden, who Republican lawmakers say used his father's status when he was vice president to influence business deals in Ukraine and elsewhere.

Greene said she would refuse to vote for any government spending to avoid a shutdown if the House elects not to open an impeachment inquiry.

"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.

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

"We have the evidence they have desperately been trying to hide to just ask the question," she continued. "Should we inquire? Should we just take a look? Dare we investigate further? The answer is YES but the White House is outraged at my audacity to demand it."

The White House reacted to remarks Greene made at her Floyd County Town Hall on Thursday, when she said she would not vote to fund the government if Congress does not vote on an impeachment inquiry into the president, defund "Biden's weaponization of government," eliminate any COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates and eliminate U.S. funding for Ukraine's war against Russia.

A spokesperson for the White House said Greene was part of the "hardcore fringe" of the Republican Party.

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

"The last thing the American people deserve is for extreme House members to trigger a government shutdown that hurts our economy, undermines our disaster preparedness, and forces our troops to work without guaranteed pay," spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has indicated he would move forward with an impeachment inquiry into Biden and his family's foreign business dealings, but only if there is a formal House vote, which could come as soon as this month when the legislative session resumes.

The deadline to fund the government is September 30 and McCarthy has told House GOP colleagues that he expects to move toward a short-term measure to avoid a government shutdown while the Republican-held House and Democrat-held Senate attempt to come to an agreement on a long-term budget.

The government's new fiscal year begins on October 1, when funding approval is required to avert closures of federal offices.

Conservatives tout new training program for Capitol Hill staff as ‘game changer’ for beating ‘the swamp’

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FIRST ON FOX – A conservative think tank has launched a 10-month training program for Capitol Hill and government staff, and it is earning the praise of top GOP lawmakers. 

The Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) is launching "Conservative Partnership Academy" and in-person training program for "congressional staff and other members of the conservative movement who are interested in gaining the skills to advance good policy" in the nation’s capital. 

Jim DeMint, a former senator CPI chairman said the need for "well-trained staff on Capitol Hill to fight and win the key battles that will decide the future of our nation" is the impetus for the program aimed at equipping staff "with the skills they need to lead principled, conservative offices." 

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, says the program is a "game-changer."

TED CRUZ SWIPES DEM OPPONENT OVER SMALL CROWD SIZE AHEAD OF CRUCIAL 2024 RACE: 'SIX PEOPLE SHOWED UP'

"The Conservative Partnership Academy is a game-changer for staffers seeking to defend the Constitution and fight for freedom in the halls of Congress," Lee said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

"Washington needs patriots with strong convictions and hard policy-making skills to achieve legislative victories for the American people," he said. 

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas said that, "As a former Hill staffer, and now as a Member, I have seen firsthand what it takes to successfully be able to beat the swamp."

"Conservatives are fighting an uphill battle, so being armed with as many tools, resources and skills possible to defeat the Washington uni-party is crucial to win."

Roy said the program is a "great tool" to help staff "navigate the ups and downs of politics all while instilling freedom loving principles in their minds and the determination to win in their hearts."

Hugh Fike, government relations director at CPI, said that the program is not only aimed at congressional office staff, but also staff in a potential GOP presidency in 2025. DeMint, CPI CEO Wesley Denton and CPI senior advisor and former chief of staff to former President Trump, Mark Meadows, are expected to be heavily involved in the program. 

GOP ANGER GROWS OVER BIDEN ADMIN'S POTENTIAL PLEA DEAL FOR SUSPECTED 9/11 ARCHITECTS

The program will feature trainings on traditional trainings on House of Representative rules and procedures, Senate rules and procedures, and also feature a variety of other issue areas and issue experts. 

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

The Academy will feature three "fellowships" geared for junior staff to more senior policy and communications professionals. Applications open from Aug. 29 through Sept. 29.

"We desperately need more sharpened conservative minds working to preserve our freedoms, on Capitol Hill and beyond," Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas., told Fox News Digital. 

"CPI is doing important work to train current and future staffers, and I look forward to seeing graduates of CPI Academy succeed."

Biden appoints Ed Siskel, who shielded Obama from GOP’s Benghazi investigation, as new White House counsel

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President Biden has appointed Ed Siskel, a veteran of the Obama-Biden administration who shielded then-President Obama amid House Republicans' inquiries into Benghazi and Solyndra, to be his new White House counsel. 

"Ed Siskel’s many years of experience in public service and a career defending the rule of law make him the perfect choice to serve as my next White House Counsel," Biden said in a statement Tuesday, announcing the new hiring.

The president added: "For nearly four years in the White House when I was Vice President, he helped the Counsel’s Office navigate complex challenges and advance the President’s agenda on behalf of the American people, and first as a federal prosecutor and then as the top counsel for one of America’s biggest and most vibrant cities, his hometown of Chicago, Ed has shown a deep commitment to public service and respect for the law."

Siskel’s arrival comes as the president faces a special counsel investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents, a special counsel investigation of his eldest son Hunter Biden, and as House Republicans have launched multiple investigations into him, his son and the origins of COVID-19. Also, some Republican lawmakers are pushing to impeach the president.

WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL DEPARTING AS HOUSE REPUBLICAN INVESTIGATIONS HEAT UP

On Tuesday, the White House announced that Biden selected Siskel, who rose to the rank of deputy counsel during his nearly four years previously serving in the White House Counsel’s Office, to replace current counsel Stuart Delery, who will leave the post in September. The change in Biden’s senior legal counsel comes as Republican-led investigations continue to heat up around the president, the administration and the Biden family.

Speaking of Siskel, Biden said: "His experience will let him hit the ground running as a key leader on my team as we continue making progress for the American people every day."

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Siskel helped the Obama administration navigate congressional inquiries and "other political land mines," including the solar panel company known as Solyndra that received government aid, and the terrorist attacks on the U.S. Consulate compound in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead.

Siskel also previously oversaw the rollout and subsequent legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act, or "ObamaCare."

As White House Counsel, Siskel will "lead a team serving the President with counsel on legal matters facing the White House and the country" as well as helping craft policies and executive actions to further push Biden’s agenda, the White House said.

During his previous role in the Obama-Biden White House Counsel’s Office, Siskel led the White House’s legal responses to numerous legal challenges concerning ObamaCare.

WHITE HOUSE IGNORES REPUBLICANS DEMANDING ANSWERS ON BIDEN'S KNOWLEDGE OF HUNTER BIDEN'S BUSINESS DEALINGS

Delery’s departure was announced last week in a statement where Biden said Delery was a "trusted adviser and a constant source of innovative legal thinking since Day One of my Administration."

He first joined Biden’s transition team in November 2020 before serving as deputy counsel. He was promoted to the top job in 2022 after Biden’s first counsel, Dana Remus, left the White House.

Delery notably oversaw the legal framework of the Inflation Reduction Act, which was the president’s signature environmental legislation, as well as helping Biden craft his student loan handout executive order last year that was ultimately struck down by the Supreme Court.

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

He also played a key role in helping the administration put new rules at the U.S.-Mexico border, in an effort to stop illegal border crossings. The border has seen a surge of migrant crossings, including historic records, under the Biden administration.

After his first stint in the White House, Siskel worked in private practice. He then served for two years as corporation counsel to former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who left office to become the U.S. ambassador to Japan.

Before his service in the Obama-Biden White House, Siskel was an associate deputy attorney general at the Justice Department and, prior to that, a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Illinois and a clerk within the U.S. Supreme Court.

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He graduated from Wesleyan University and the University of Chicago Law School.

White House counsel departing as House Republican investigations heat up

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The White House has announced its top lawyer will leave next month after nearly three years of serving President Biden as House Republicans continue to investigate the president and his family.

Stuart Delery first joined Biden’s transition team in November 2020 before serving as deputy counsel. He was promoted to the top job in 2022 after Biden’s first counsel, Dana Remus, left the White House.

In a statement Thursday announcing the departure, Biden called Delery a "trusted adviser and a constant source of innovative legal thinking since Day One of my Administration."

The president added, "From his work during those early days on COVID-19 and efforts to get life-saving vaccines to the American public to the implementation of major legislative accomplishments such as the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act, he has been an integral part of my team and will be missed throughout the Administration."

WHITE HOUSE IGNORES REPUBLICANS DEMANDING ANSWERS ON BIDEN'S KNOWLEDGE OF HUNTER BIDEN'S BUSINESS DEALINGS

Biden also thanked Stuart and his family for his service.

The White House did not announce who would be replacing him as counsel.

Delery’s departure comes as House Republicans have launched multiple investigations into Biden’s son Hunter and the origins of COVID-19. Other Republican lawmakers are pushing to impeach the president — a proposal that lacks mainstream support.

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

In addition to these inquiries, Attorney General Merrick Garland named a special counsel to investigate the presence of classified documents that were found in Biden’s possession at two different locations, including the garage at his Delaware home and his former Washington, D.C., office.

Biden’s personal lawyer, Bob Bauer, is handling the classified documents matter, while the White House has about two dozen aides working on the other investigations.

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

The departure also comes as White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients asked Cabinet members and senior officials to decide by the end of the summer whether they would remain in their position through 2024 and the election cycle.

An unidentified White House official told The Associated Press that Delery’s departure had been in the works for a while.

Delery was the top adviser who helped Biden craft his student loan handout executive order last year that was ultimately struck down by the Supreme Court.

The White House unsuccessfully argued the COVID-19 pandemic qualified as an emergency that gave the education secretary the legal authority to "waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision," such as student loan debt.

The nation’s highest court ruled in a 6-3 decision that the administration overstepped its constitutional authority with the proposal.

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While serving as deputy counsel, before being the chief White House lawyer, Delery played a critical role in advising Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and the $1 trillion infrastructure bill.

Delery also played a key role in helping the administration put new rules at the U.S.-Mexico border, designed to stop migrants from crossing illegally.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Florida Republican introduces impeachment articles against Joe Biden

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Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., jumped ahead of his Republican colleagues on Friday and introduced articles of impeachment against President Biden.

While several congressional committees are building a multipronged case to remove Biden from office, Steube said it was past time to take action. He filed articles of impeachment against Biden charging that the president had been complicit in his son Hunter's alleged crimes and had worked to shield him from justice.

"It’s long past time to impeach Joe Biden," Steube said in a statement. "He has undermined the integrity of his office, brought disrepute on the Presidency, betrayed his trust as President, and acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice at the expense of America’s citizens."

Steube filed four articles alleging high crimes and misdemeanors by Biden.

DOJ, FBI, IRS INTERFERED WITH HUNTER BIDEN PROBE, ACCORDING TO WHISTLEBLOWER TESTIMONY RELEASED BY GOP

The first accuses the president of abusing the power of his office by allegedly accepting bribes, committing Hobbs Act extortion and honest services fraud related to use of his official position. These charges arise from Biden's alleged involvement with his family's business dealings, including Hunter and James Biden's (the president's brother) alleged effort to sell access to then-Vice President Biden between 2009 and 2017 in exchange for "payments and business opportunities from foreign and domestic business partners."

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky, on Wednesday released a memo purporting to show that foreign payments to the Biden family totaled more than $20 million — though Democrats say none of the evidence shows that President Biden accepted any payments or committed misconduct. 

The second article charges that President Biden obstructed justice, citing IRS whistleblower testimony that "members of the Biden campaign improperly colluded with Justice Department (DOJ) officials to improperly interfere with investigations into tax crimes alleged to have been committed by Hunter Biden." Both the Justice Department and special counsel David Weiss, the U.S. attorney appointed to investigate Hunter Biden, have denied that the Biden administration impeded Weiss' work.

The third and fourth articles accuse Biden of "fraud" and paying for Hunter Biden's illegal drugs and trysts with prostitutes, respectively. 

SECRET SERVICE CLOSES WHITE HOUSE COCAINE INVESTIGATION, SAYS IT IS ‘NOT ABLE’ TO IDENTIFY SUSPECT

"The evidence continues to mount by the day – the Biden Crime Family has personally profited off Joe’s government positions through bribery, threats, and fraud. Joe Biden must not be allowed to continue to sit in the White House, selling out our country," Steube said. 

On the same day, Steube introduced legislation to require the Secret Service chief to write a report on the illicit use of controlled substances in the White House. The move comes after the Secret Service closed its investigation into cocaine found at the White House last month without identifying a person of interest. Steube named the bill the "Helping Understand Narcotics Traces at the Executive Residence (HUNTER) Act." 

"The United States Secret Service (USSS) refers to themselves as one of the most elite law enforcement agencies in the world. It’s completely unacceptable that the USSS has failed to find who is responsible for bringing cocaine into one of the most secure buildings in the world," he said. "The American people deserve answers. My legislation demands information on the closed investigation into the cocaine found at the White House in July and focuses on how Congress can provide oversight to prevent future illicit usage of controlled substances in the White House."

Steube's articles of impeachment have jumped ahead of at least four GOP-led committee investigations pursuing avenues to impeach Biden or his top officials. The White House has ridiculed suggestions that Biden should be removed from office.

CNN'S JAKE TAPPER CHALKS UP BIDEN FAMILY MONEY REVELATIONS AS ‘SLEAZY’ BUT NOT CRIMINAL DURING COMER CLASH

"We’re not going to get into what House Republicans want to do or may not do — hypotheticals. That’s on them. That’s for them to speak to. What I can speak to is exactly what we’re doing today." press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in July. 

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"The economic data is so much better than economists had expected. And so, that’s because of the work that this President has done. That’s going to be our focus. Our focus is going to be on what we can do to make Americans’ lives a little bit better, giving them that extra breathing room."

5 key takeaways from explosive witness account of Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, Joe’s role

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Hunter Biden’s former business partner Devon Archer appeared Monday on Capitol Hill, detailing what members of Congress familiar with the closed-door interview described as proof President Biden "lied" about having no knowledge of his son's business dealings.

Here are five key takeaways from Archer's hours-long interview with members of the House Oversight Committee investigating the Biden family finances:

1. Archer said Biden repeatedly spoke to Hunter's business partners to sell "the brand"

Speaking with Fox News Digital following the hearing, Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said Archer detailed how Hunter put his father, then-Vice President Biden, on speakerphone while meeting with business partners at least 20 times. He said Archer described how Biden was put on the phone to sell "the brand."

DEVON ARCHER CONFIRMS JOE BIDEN ‘LIED’ ABOUT KNOWLEDGE OF HUNTER'S BUSINESS DEALINGS, COMER SAYS

"Joe Biden was ‘the brand’ that his son sold around the world to enrich the Biden family," Comer said. "When Joe Biden was Vice President of the United States, he joined Hunter Biden’s dinners with his foreign business associates in person or by speakerphone over 20 times."

Another source also told Fox that Biden was put on the phone to sell "the brand." These phone calls included a dinner in Paris with a French energy company and in China with Jonathan Li of BHR, a Chinese investment firm.

Archer said that the value of adding Hunter to Ukrainian energy company Burisma’s board was "the brand," the source said. He also stated that Burisma would have gone under if not for "the brand."

2. Archer's account appears to contradict Biden's claim to have had no knowledge of Hunter's business dealings

Biden has consistently claimed that he had no knowledge of Hunter's business dealings, saying as early as 2019 that he had "never discussed with my son or my brother or anyone else anything having to do with their business, period."

"There wasn't any hint of scandal at all when we were there. It was the same kind of strict, strict rules. That's why I never talk with my son or my brother or anyone else, even distant family about their business interest, period," he added at the time.

But Archer's testimony concerning the numerous phone calls Hunter placed to Biden connecting him with his business associates suggests otherwise.

"Why did Joe Biden lie to the American people about his family’s business dealings and his involvement?" Comer posed while speaking with Fox. "It begs the question what else he is hiding from the American people."

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

3. Hunter Biden, Burisma execs ‘called DC’ to get Ukrainian prosecutor fired

Archer said that Hunter and top executives of Burisma Holdings, CEO Mykola Zlochevsky and Vadym Pozharski, "called D.C." in December 2015 to ask the Obama administration to help fire the Ukrainian prosecutor investigating the firm, a source familiar with his testimony told Fox.

Archer said Zlochevsky and Pozharski "placed constant pressure on Hunter Biden to get help from D.C." in getting Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin ousted. Shokin was investigating Burisma for corruption.

According to the source, Archer revealed that in December 2015, Hunter Biden, Zlochevsky and Pozharski "called D.C." to discuss the matter. Archer recounted how Biden, Zlochevsky and Pozharski stepped away to take make the call.

It is unclear if Hunter and the Burisma executives spoke directly to Joe Biden on the matter, who, at the time, was in charge of the administration's U.S.-Ukraine policy.

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

4. Archer's appearance will add fuel to Republicans' impeachment push

Speaking with Fox News Digital following the hearing, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said Archer's testimony proving Biden "lied" meant House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's openness to a potential impeachment inquiry against the president was "the right thing to do."

Greene was not in the hearing herself, but said she was getting frequent updates from her staff.

Appearing on Fox News' "Hannity" last week, McCarthy escalated his talk about potentially impeaching Biden by saying "this is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry." The speaker said evidence uncovered by the House's investigations into the president may necessitate a full inquiry to gather more evidence of alleged corruption by the Biden family.

DEVON ARCHER INTERVIEW ‘VERY PRODUCTIVE’ IN BIDEN FAMILY PROBE, JORDAN SAYS

5. Democrats attempted to spin - but didn't deny - Archer's account of events

On the other side of the aisle, freshman Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., told reporters that Archer said Biden was on the phone when he was working with Hunter. But Goldman said they discussed "casual niceties" and "the weather" rather than topics of business.

"Like many people, Hunter spoke with his father every day, and would often put his father, occasionally would put his father on to say hello to whomever he happened to be caught at dinner with, and Mr. Archer clarified that was sometimes people that they were having, you know, they were trying to do business with, and it was sometimes friends or other social engagements," he said.

"As he described it, it was all casual niceties, the weather, what's going on," Goldman added. "There wasn't a single conversation about any of the business dealings that Hunter had."

Fox News' Brooke Singman, Elizabeth Elkind, Houston Keene and Jessica Chasmar contributed to this report.

Democrat congressman acknowledges it’s ‘clear’ Hunter Biden broke the law: ‘Should be held accountable’

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A Democratic congressman admitted that it's "clear" Hunter Biden broke the law during an interview on Friday.

Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes took a swipe at Republicans Friday night before acknowledging the first son’s legal troubles.

"Let me say something that you never heard a Republican member of Congress say in the four years of the Trump administration, which is that if Hunter Biden broke the law, he should be prosecuted," Himes said on MSNBC. "And it is clear that he broke the law with respect to taxes and possibly the ownership of a handgun. He should be held accountable for that."

Himes criticized Republicans for not speaking out against former President Donald Trump when he was indicted, but also acknowledged that Hunter Biden should be held accountable if he used his father’s influence to commit crimes.

FLASHBACK: EMAILS TO HUNTER BIDEN SHOW PLANS TO MEET WITH STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS ABOUT BURISMA PROBE, NOT WANTING TO REGISTER UNDER FARA

"If he traded on his father’s influence, he should be held accountable for that. And I’m emphasizing this because you never, ever heard a Republican say the same thing about Donald Trump or his family," Himes argued.

The Democratic congressman argued there was no evidence that President Biden colluded with his son on any crimes, but insinuated that any evidence should be taken seriously if it arises.

"Now, to the question about impeachment, there is today zero evidence, zero evidence that Joe Biden, the president of the United States, knew about what his son was doing. If, if he did know about it, if he participated in that, then that is a very different conversation," Himes added.

DOJ OFFERS HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATOR FOR TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE

Hunter, who is still under federal investigation, pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax on Wednesday. He was set to plead guilty as part of a deal, but the plea deal fell through.

The White House has stated that President Biden is supporting his son throughout the investigation. 

"Hunter Biden is a private citizen, and this was a personal matter for him. As we have said, the president, the first lady — they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously said. "This case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department under the leadership of a prosecutor appointed by the former president, President Trump." 

Fox News Digital reached out to Himes' office for a statement, but has not heard back.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

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

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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.

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"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.

Door may be open to impeaching Biden for misdeeds committed prior to presidency: legal experts

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Republicans have floated launching an impeachment inquiry against President Biden amid newly surfaced allegations that suggest his involvement in the business dealings his son, Hunter. But can congressional lawmakers initiate the use of that constitutional tool for alleged treason, bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors that transpired before holding the office of the presidency?

"The answer is clear," Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz told Fox News Digital. "No one knows."

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Article II, Section 4, of the U.S. Constitution states: "The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

But it doesn’t specify whether those alleged actions need to take place during the time the official holds the office.

"The crucial impeachment language in the Constitution is not limited to ‘high Crimes and Misdemeanors’ committed while ‘in office,’" senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation Hans A. von Spakovsky told Fox News Digital. "That language is not there."

Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy noted that "impeachment is a political process, not a legal one."

"When you ask lawyers these questions, what they tend to try to suggest is this is controlled by legal rules and, therefore, they propose that the abuse of power that rises to the level of ‘high Crimes and Misdemeanors’ has to occur when the person is president – it has to be an abuse of presidential power," McCarthy said. "The fact of the matter, though, is that impeachment is not controlled by legal rules but political rules."

Quoting then-House Minority Leader Gerald Ford in 1970, McCarthy said, "An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history."

"The Constitution specifically assigns to Congress the determination of whether impeachable offenses were found, and, under separation of powers, the court stays out of it," McCarthy continued. "Politically speaking, it is whatever Congress says it is."

Former Whitewater prosecutor Robert Ray agreed that "the answer to the question is ultimately up to the House to decide . . . the rule being – to paraphrase former President Ford – an impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives says it is." 

But Ray said he personally believes the abuse has to take place when a president is in office.

Republicans currently hold the majority in the House of Representatives. The House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has been investigating the Biden family’s allegedly corrupt foreign business dealings for months and whether President Biden, while serving as vice president or after, had been involved.

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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.

Since then, Republican leaders have suggested the possibility of an impeachment inquiry, saying the American people "have a right to know" if the criminal bribery scheme allegations are true and whether Biden was tangled up in his son’s business dealings.

As for the criminal bribery allegations, McCarthy told Fox News Digital that the framers of the Constitution were "most animated" by "maladministration" but also by "the possibility that a president could be controlled by foreign powers."

"The founders were concerned if a foreign power had corrupted the president," McCarthy said. "It just seems to me that the possibility that a president could be purchased, or a person who occupies the office of the presidency could be purchased, by a corrupt foreign government is not limited to his time in power."

McCarthy added, "If I bribe you with $10 million three years before you’re president, I still own you when you’re president."

He said there is "nothing in the U.S. Constitution that says a high crime and misdemeanor has to be an abuse of power by the incumbent."

But Ray and Laurence Tribe, professor of constitutional law emeritus at Harvard University, interpret that the alleged abuse should take place while the president is in office.

"It has to be an abuse of office – there is just no question about that much," Tribe said, adding that impeachment is "about abuse of power" and warned that, in the future, we are "bound to have presidents who use the presidency for personal benefits rather than benefits of the people."

Tribe told Fox News Digital that an official "can be impeached for treason, bribery or other high crimes, but it always meant abuses of office."

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"And you can’t abuse an office you don’t hold," he told Fox News Digital.

"If we fire this gun too often when it has too many blanks in it, I think we will lose the only tool we have to hold presidents in account while they are in office," Tribe told Fox News Digital, referring to the frequent use of impeachment.

"This isn’t even a close case," he continued. "There are a lot of close cases in history, but talking about allegations of family misdeeds where the evidence of alleged misdeeds just hasn’t turned up and where it is before someone became president is crazy."

Tribe said the discussion "discredits the impeachment process."

"And when we really need it, it’s not going to make sense," he said. "It’s like the boy who cried wolf."

Tribe said the impeachments of former President Donald Trump were "the heartland of what impeachment is all about – about abuse of power."

The House voted to impeach Trump in December 2019 on two counts, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, related to his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which he pressed Zelenskyy to launch investigations into the Biden family’s actions and business dealings in Ukraine – specifically Hunter Biden’s ventures with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings. The president’s request came after millions in U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been frozen, which Democrats and some witnesses have cited as a quid pro quo arrangement.

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Hunter Biden at the time was, and still is, under federal criminal investigation for his tax affairs, prompted by suspicious foreign transactions.

The Senate voted for Trump's acquittal in February 2020.

Later, the House of Representatives impeached Trump on a charge of inciting an insurrection for the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, making him the first and only president to be impeached, and ultimately acquitted, twice in history.

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Tribe, though, warned Republicans of their slim majority in the House, and he suggested that threats of impeachment are being used as "some kind of game."

"You indict our guy, we impeach your guy," Tribe said, referring to DOJ indictments of Trump. "The stakes are pretty serious."

He added, "The democracy isn’t going to preserve itself if we take all the tools to protect it and play with them like they are some kind of video game."