Andy Biggs calls for contempt charges against Eric Swalwell for aiding Hunter Biden

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

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."

WH SPURNS BIDEN FAMILY ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ AHEAD OF LIKELY IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY VOTE, HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION

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.

HUNTER BIDEN FACES BACKLASH AFTER DEFYING SUBPOENA WITH PRESS CONFERENCE 'STUNT': 'HOLD HIM IN CONTEMPT!'

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.

HUNTER BIDEN CLAIMED HE DIDN'T 'STAND TO GAIN ANYTHING' IN CONTROVERSIAL BURISMA ROLE DESPITE MAKING MILLIONS

"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.

House votes to authorize Biden impeachment inquiry

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

The House voted to formalize its impeachment inquiry into President Biden on Wednesday, taking a critical step that GOP leaders have argued is necessary to force the White House into complying with their investigation.

The measure passed 221 to 212, with every Republican voting in favor of it and all present Democrats voting against. Light cheering could be heard on the GOP side of the chamber after the measure passed, with pin drop silence on the Democratic side.

"We are now at a pivotal moment in our investigation. We will soon depose and interview several members of the Biden family and their associates about these influence-peddling schemes. But we are facing obstruction from the White House," Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said on the House floor ahead of the vote.

"The White House is seeking to block key testimony from current and former White House staff. It is also withholding thousands of records from Joe Biden’s time as Vice President. President Biden must be held accountable for his lies, corruption, and obstruction. We have a duty to provide the accountability and transparency that Americans demand and deserve."

HOUSE OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT QUIETLY MEETING WITH GOP LAWMAKERS IN EFFORT TO QUASH IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: SOURCES

The GOP-led committees on Oversight, Ways & Means and the Judiciary have been investigating Biden over accusations he had leveraged his office of vice president in the Obama administration to enrich his family through foreign businesses.

It's been heavily centered on one of the president's brothers, James Biden, and his son, Hunter Biden — who is under federal investigation for tax and firearm-related charges.

COMER DEFENDS PRIVATE DEPOSITION OF HUNTER BIDEN, VOWS TO RELEASE TRANSCRIPT AND HOLD PUBLIC HEARING

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., directed the House to open an impeachment inquiry into Biden in September, but the White House has dismissed the probe as illegitimate without a formal vote on the matter.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital that the White House "requested" the House vote itself.

"The White House sent a letter… saying that the subpoenas [Republicans] had served will not be honored and won't even be recognized without a full vote of the House. So our speaker has done exactly what I would expect he would do as a lawyer. We're going to honor that. We're going to go ahead and do a full floor vote," Emmer said. "He knows we're probably going to have to go to court to enforce these anyway, so might as well eliminate any of the objections that they have."

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital that Republicans were undertaking their vote because they recognize the gravity of impeachment proceedings.

NOTORIOUS MOBSTER STUNNED BY LATEST HUNTER BIDEN ALLEGATIONS: ‘MIND-BLOWING'

"We don't want to minimize what it means to have an impeachment, which I think is what the Democrats did. We want to be able to have that tool to be a significant tool to hold presidents accountable," she said. "We don't want it just to be a knee-jerk reaction."

Judiciary Committee member Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., said similarly, "I think the House Republicans will follow the facts where they lead… will make sure that we have the facts, and that we present the facts to the American people."

In a statement following the vote, Biden accused House Republicans of wasting time with political attacks and avoiding critical issues facing the nation.

"We have to address the situation at our southern border, and I am determined to try to fix the problem. We need funding to strengthen border security, but Republicans in Congress won’t act to help," he said.

Biden said he is also working to "make sure inflation keeps going down and job growth keeps going up" — but accused Congress of refusing to help him.

"Instead of doing anything to help make Americans’ lives better, they are focused on attacking me with lies. Instead of doing their job on the urgent work that needs to be done, they are choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt that even Republicans in Congress admit is not supported by facts," he said.

The vote comes hours after Hunter Biden made a surprise appearance outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday morning.

He had been scheduled to appear for a closed-door deposition with the Oversight Committee, but instead he delivered a brief statement to reporters on his father’s professed innocence before departing Capitol Hill altogether.

AOC defends Hunter Biden after refusal to testify before Congress; GOP just ‘story telling at this point’

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

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, defended Hunter Biden on Wednesday amid criticism by Republicans after he refused to testify before lawmakers behind closed doors.

The president's son was subpoenaed to appear before the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees. He instead held a press conference Wednesday on Capitol Hill in which he refused to sit for a deposition while declaring that his father was never involved in his business dealings.

Republicans have threatened to hold him in contempt of Congress.

HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT SIT FOR DEPOSITION BY GOP, SAYS FATHER NOT ‘FINANCIALLY’ INVOLVED IN HIS BUSINESS

Ocasio-Cortez joined a press conference with fellow Democrats to criticize Republicans where she said Biden was attempting to comply with the subpoena.

"It’s also important to note, that not only is the committee not allowing Hunter Biden to testify publicly, but they have not called a single witness, a single first-hand witness to any of their allegations," she said. "They haven’t allowed anybody to testify publicly, because they do not have a single witness to any of their alleged allegations. They don’t."

"We have asked virtually every single person that has come to testify for this committee, ‘Have you seen, witnessed, participated, in a room, anything with first-hand testimony of any of what is being alleged?'" And every single witness that they have called before us has said, ‘No, I haven’t seen anything, didn’t hear anything, wasn’t party to anything," she added.

WH SPURNS BIDEN FAMILY ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ AHEAD OF LIKELY IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY VOTE, HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION

"So this is just story telling at this point."

During his press conference, Biden defended the president and said critics have "belittled my recovery, and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass my father, who has devoted his entire life to public service. For six years I have been a target of the unrelenting Trump attack team. ‘Where’s Hunter?’ Well, here’s my answer. I am here."

"My father was not financially involved in my business," he said, saying the elder Biden was not involved in his dealings with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, or his Chinese investments and others in the United States.

Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Kentucky, and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said they would start proceedings to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress.

"Today, the House will vote on an impeachment inquiry resolution to strengthen our legal case in the courts as we face obstruction from the White House and witnesses," both lawmakers said in a joint statement. "Today’s obstruction by Hunter Biden reinforces the need for a formal vote. President Biden and his family must be held accountable for their corruption and obstruction. And we will provide that to the American people."

Biden ignores reporter questions after son Hunter defies congressional subpoena

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

President Biden ignored reporter questions on Wednesday shortly after his son, Hunter, defied a congressional subpoena regarding the family's business dealings.

The president's scheduled news conference before a meeting of his National Infrastructure Advisory Council was delayed for more than an hour Wednesday until Biden made an appearance, walking out to address members of the press gathered to hear the commander in chief speak from the White House.

Earlier in the day, Hunter Biden had arrived on Capitol Hill — not to comply with his subpoena and be deposed by the House Oversight Committee but instead to hold a press conference and again offer to testify publicly. He maintained that his father "was not financially involved" in his business, saying there is "no evidence because it did not happen."

At the White House, President Biden joked with the waiting press to "please say seated," before staying on script about this administration's infrastructure initiatives.

"Last year, I asked this council to ensure that resilience is built into all of our infrastructure projects, including critical sectors like energy, communications, transportation and health care. Together, you delivered, especially on these key challenges," Biden said. "Today, I'm looking forward to hearing about new projects this council will pursue in the coming years as well. So thank you all for being here. I'm just going to ask the press to step out so we can begin our briefing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT SIT FOR DEPOSITION BY GOP, SAYS FATHER NOT 'FINANCIALLY' INVOLVED IN HIS BUSINESS

Fox News' Peter Doocy could be heard repeatedly shouting to Biden, "Mr. President, did you watch Hunter this morning?"

Over the sound of clamoring press, another reporter was heard asking, "Mr. President, should your son have defied the subpoena?"

Yet, Biden looked at the press and walked away from the podium.

Biden at the top of his brief remarks championed how two years ago he "signed into law a once-in a-generation investment in our nation's infrastructure and — to fix our roads, railroads, bridges, ports, airports, remove every single lead pipe in the country and extend high-speed internet, advance clean energy, and modernize the electric grid — energy grid."

JOHNSON DEFENDS VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY AMID WHITE HOUSE ‘IMPASSE’: 'WE HAVE NO CHOICE'

"Already, we've announced over 40,000 projects in 4,500 communities all across our country. And when folks see these big projects in their hometowns, when they see the cranes up in the air, the shovels in the ground, I really think — coming from an area that was shut down, up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the steel mill in Claymont, Delaware — I think it brings them hope," Biden said. "Because it's not just about building an infrastructure. It's about building better infrastructure, stronger infrastructure, infrastructure to withstand 21st century challenges from climate change, cyberattacks to natural disasters to foreign threats, and so much more."

The House is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution to formalize the Biden impeachment inquiry, as Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Republican leadership have accused the White House of "stonewalling" their investigations into the president's alleged involvement in his son Hunter's business dealings.

On Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Hunter Biden railed against "MAGA" Republicans who have "invaded" his privacy, "attacked" his family and "ridiculed my struggle with addiction."

House Republicans say the Justice Department has refused to allow two attorneys to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. They claim the White House sent House Oversight and Accountability Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., and House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a letter saying they have no intention of complying with GOP subpoenas and requests for interviews without a formal vote, and the National Archives has withheld thousands of pages of documents and emails.

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

House tees up vote to formalize Biden impeachment inquiry tonight

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

The House of Representatives is taking a vote to formalize its impeachment inquiry of President Biden on Wednesday evening, a move Republicans argue will force the White House into complying with its investigation.

It's been heavily centered on the president's brother James Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, who is under federal investigation for tax and firearm-related charges. Hunter Biden is also scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee for a closed-door deposition on Wednesday, though it's unclear if he will show up.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT QUIETLY MEETING WITH GOP LAWMAKERS IN EFFORT TO QUASH IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: SOURCES

The impeachment inquiry vote is scheduled to occur sometime in the 5 p.m. hour.

"The impeachment inquiry is necessary now…because we've come to this impasse, we're following the facts. Where they lead is hitting a stone wall because the White House is impeding that investigation," Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"We're not going to prejudge the outcome of this. We can't because, again, it's not a political calculation. We're following the law and we are the rule of law team. And I'm going to hold to that as my commitment."

But Democrats have accused the House GOP majority of playing politics with impeachment. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, accused Republicans of moving forward with no proof of wrongdoing on Wednesday morning before the vote.

"A mountain of evidence and deluge of independent reporting, including from numerous conservative outlets, have discredited every single allegation leveled by Republicans against President Biden in their painstaking and fruitless inquiry—from bogus smears about Ukraine to comical distortions about intrafamily auto payments to desperate and self-debunking cries of obstruction, all proven to be distortions, concoctions, and outright lies," Raskin said.

Calls grow for Congress to subpoena Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs despite Democrat ‘stonewalling’

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

Calls are growing for Congress to subpoena convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's flight logs in order to identify possible perpetrators who may have partaken in his sex trafficking ring.

In a Monday letter to the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said there were still many unanswered questions surrounding Epstein's operation, including the identities of "America's most powerful and well-known people" who may have been involved.

"The American people have a right to know who took part in Epstein's disgusting business that ruined so many lives," Burchett wrote. "More importantly, their victims deserve justice and accountability."

GOP SENATOR MOVES TO FORCE RELEASE OF JEFFREY EPSTEIN FLIGHT LOGS, IDENTIFY PERPETRATORS IN ‘HORRIFIC CONDUCT’

Burchett also accused Senate Democrats of recently blocking an effort by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., to subpoena the flight logs. In a statement following the letter, Burchett accused Democrats of "stonewalling" attempts to get them.

"This shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but Senate Democrats completely disrespected my friend Marsha’s attempts to find out who participated in Epstein’s disgusting business so we can hold them accountable," Burchett said. "We should all be concerned about the horrors of sex trafficking, especially when it involves kids, but I’ll call on Republicans to show some leadership in this field if the Democrats insist on stonewalling it like this."

Blackburn first moved for the flight records to be subpoenaed in early November in response to efforts by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee to target justices on the Supreme Court. She then unsuccessfully moved to force a subpoena during a hearing on Nov. 30.

WH SPURNS BIDEN FAMILY ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ AHEAD OF LIKELY IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY VOTE, HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION

The failure of that effort Blackburn blamed on Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the committee chair.

"[Durbin] BLOCKED my request to subpoena Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs. What are Democrats trying to hide?," Blackburn posted on X after calling it a "sad day in the history of the prestigious Judiciary Committee."

In a statement following the failed subpoena attempt, Blackburn said Democrats "don’t want to have a conversation about the estate of Jeffrey Epstein to find out the names of every person who participated in Jeffrey Epstein’s human trafficking ring."

HOUSE OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT QUIETLY MEETING WITH GOP LAWMAKERS IN EFFORT TO QUASH IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: SOURCES

A Democrat aide to the committee told Fox News Digital that Durbin made clear he was willing to stay all day in order to allow Republicans to offer as well as debate the 177 amendments that they filed ahead of the hearing, and that the committee would vote on the subpoena authorization after.

However, several Republicans on the committee allegedly began to filibuster and didn't allow Blackburn to offer the first amendment to the authorization, the aide added.

Dubbed by some in the media as "The Lolita Express," Epstein's plane was allegedly used to fly underage girls to his private island in the Carribean, as well as his other homes around the U.S. and other parts of the world.

A number of big-name actors, politicians and other public figures have reportedly been passengers on the plane at some point, including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker, Prince Andrew, billionaire businessman Bill Gates and a number of others.

There is currently no evidence to suggest anyone who flew on Epstein's plane participated in any crime.

KEY MCCONNELL ALLY MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN CRUCIAL SWING STATE RACE THAT COULD FLIP SENATE RED

Epstein pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy in July 2019 in a New York court after being accused of having preyed on dozens of victims as young as 14.

He was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell the following month. His death was ruled a suicide.

Epstein previously pleaded guilty in Florida to charges of soliciting and procuring a person under age 18 for prostitution.

Johnson defends vote to formalize Biden impeachment inquiry amid White House ‘impasse’: ‘We have no choice’

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

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday defended a vote scheduled this week to formalize the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, arguing that unlike what Democrats did with the "sham impeachment" of former President Trump, Republicans are committed to the "rule of law."

Fox News’ Chad Pergram pressed Johnson on an expectation from the GOP base to bring an impeachment vote sometime in the spring ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Johnson explained that House Republicans have "come to this impasse" in their investigations into President Biden’s alleged involvement in his son, Hunter Biden’s business dealings, and are "hitting a stone wall because the White House is impeding that investigation" and not allowing witnesses to come forward and thousands of pages of documents. The vote on a resolution to formalize the House impeachment inquiry, which is currently set for Wednesday, is not the same as a vote to impeach.

"We have no choice to fulfill our constitutional responsibility. We have to take the next step. We're not making a political decision. It's not. It's a legal decision," Johnson said at the House Republican Conference press conference on Tuesday. "So people have feelings about it one way or the other. We can't prejudge the outcome. The Constitution does not permit us to do so. We have to follow the truth where it takes us and that is exactly what we're going to do."

HOUSE OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT QUIETLY MEETING WITH GOP LAWMAKERS IN EFFORT TO QUASH IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: SOURCES

Noting some frustration about the time being invested in the impeachment probe, Johnson argued, "this is the way the founders anticipated that something like this would go."

"There shouldn't be any such thing as a snap impeachment, a sham impeachment like the Democrats did against President Trump. This is the opposite of that," Johnson said. "And that's why people are getting restless, because they want things to happen quickly. If you follow the Constitution and you do the right thing, you cannot rush it. You have to follow the facts."

Piggybacking off Pergram’s question about pressure for Johnson to bring the impeachment vote while Republicans hold a slim majority, another reporter asked Johnson, "If you get into the spring and decide not to impeach the president based on the inquiry, you would be comfortable with that decision essentially absolving him months before a presidential election?"

"We're not going to prejudge the outcome of this," Johnson responded. "We can't because, again, it's not a political calculation. We're following the law, and we are the rule of law team. And I'm going to hold to that as my commitment."

CONGRESS AIMS TO HOLD VOTE TO INITIATE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

Wednesday’s vote will allow the House Judiciary, Oversight and Ways and Means committees to continue their investigations into the Biden family business dealings, House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., explained, stating that the "Biden administration has been stonewalling our investigations."

The Justice Department has refused to allow two attorneys to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, Emmer said at the press conference. The White House sent House Oversight and Accountability Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., and House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a letter stating, "they have no intention of complying with our subpoenas and requests for interviews without a formal vote," according to Emmer, who also stressed how the National Archives has "withheld thousands of pages of documents and emails."

"It's clear the House will have to defend our lawful investigations in court, and passing this resolution will put us in the best position possible to enforce our subpoenas and set forth a clear process," Emmer said. "As we have said numerous times before, voting in favor of an impeachment inquiry does not equal impeachment. We will continue to follow the facts wherever they lead. And if they uncovered evidence of treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors, then and only then will the next steps towards impeachment proceedings be considered. No one in this country is above the law, and that includes President Joe Biden."

Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

House Freedom Caucus elects Republican who voted to oust McCarthy as new leader

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

The House Freedom Caucus elected a new chairman on Monday night, picking Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., as the hardline conservative group's leader for 2024.

Good was one of eight House Republicans who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in early October.

"No comment tonight," Good told reporters while leaving a Freedom Caucus meeting just minutes before 10 p.m.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS ANTICIPATE VOTE TO FORMALIZE BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY 'SOON'

He was similarly coy earlier in the evening after a closed-door House GOP conference meeting. Asked by Fox News Digital of his policy goals if he became chairman, he said, "I'll wait to talk about it after tonight."

Good is a conservative who was elected in 2020 to Virginia's red-leaning 5th Congressional District, which is mostly rural but includes part of Charlottesville.

He is expected to have significant sway over House GOP policy as Freedom Caucus chair, with the group wielding outsized influence so far in Republicans' razor-thin House majority.

JOHNSON'S FIRST WEEKS AS SPEAKER MARKED BY GOP INFIGHTING – AND SOME VICTORIES

The group's current chairman is Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., a close ally of former President Trump's. Leaving the Monday night meeting, Perry was asked by Fox News Digital whether he had any advice for Good.

"Be true and be bold," Perry said, adding that he hoped Good would "lead better" as his successor.

Good's relationship with leadership has, so far, been more fraught than Perry's, as he was one of 20 House Republicans who forced McCarthy to go through 15 rounds of voting before winning the speaker's gavel in January, months before finally voting to oust him.

KEVIN MCCARTHY, MATT GAETZ TRADE JABS AS FIERCE RIVALRY CONTINUES: HE 'BELONGS IN JAIL'

Perry said of that difference, "Past chairs, Jordan, Meadows, Biggs, kind of [grew] into the position. It's not just about you and your own desires. You're representing the group, the brand, and so you have to be open to maybe things that you wouldn't be otherwise."

He would not say whether the friction with McCarthy would be a liability for the group's negotiating power going forward.

"We're all in this together. So we, you know, get over our personal differences and disagreements and focus on the country," he said instead.

WH spurns Biden family ‘conspiracy theories’ ahead of likely impeachment inquiry vote, Hunter Biden deposition

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

The White House refused to answer questions on Monday regarding what it claimed were "conspiracy theories" of corruption within the Biden family.

The refusal came as deputy press secretary Andrew Bates spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One ahead of a likely House vote this week to launch a formal impeachment inquiry against President Biden and the possible appearance of his son, Hunter, for a deposition before the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees on Wednesday.

"I am not going to weigh in on that process except to say that President Biden is laser focused on the issues that matter most to American families," Bates said. "You see him today getting ready to deliver for firefighters in Philadelphia. Like I mentioned, we're making an historic announcement in advanced manufacturing to keep bringing jobs back from overseas."

HOUSE OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT QUIETLY MEETING WITH GOP LAWMAKERS IN EFFORT TO QUASH IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: SOURCES

"He's focused on what matters to American families, not Marjorie Taylor Greene's conspiracy theories about his own family," he added, referencing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a supporter of impeaching Biden and member of the GOP often targeted by Democrats for political attacks.

House Republicans hope to hold the formal vote on whether to officially launch the inquiry this week, but are facing opposition from Democrats and some members within their own party. However, GOP opposition to the inquiry has been shrinking as those members representing districts Biden won in 2020 have begun to back the move.

This includes Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who told Politico he was switching from opposing the inquiry to supporting it because of the increased likelihood Biden would cooperate.

DEAN PHILLIPS CALLS BIDEN POSSIBLY ‘UNELECTABLE’ IN 2024 AFTER GOP IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

"The president is saying he isn’t going to provide information until we get an inquiry, so I went from a no to a yes," he told the outlet.

Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., has spearheaded the sprawling investigation into Biden, which has focused on Hunter, his various foreign business dealings, and the money he got from them. The committee hosted an impeachment inquiry hearing in September as part of that probe.

The White House has repeatedly said that Biden did nothing wrong and had no knowledge of his son's business dealings.

KEY MCCONNELL ALLY MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN CRUCIAL SWING STATE RACE THAT COULD FLIP SENATE RED

Additionally, the Oversight and Judiciary Committees posted an official notice last week for Hunter’s closed-door deposition on Wednesday, despite the president’s son so far refusing to comply with the subpoena to testify behind closed doors.

Hunter's attorney notified Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, last week that the president's son would only appear for testimony before the committee in a public setting.

Comer and Jordan subsequently threatened to hold him in contempt of Congress if he does not appear for his deposition.

Fox News Thomas Catenacci, Brooke Singman and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

McCarthy exit underscores House GOP’s perilously slim majority

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Republicans are approaching the new year wary about their slimming majority in the wake of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s announced exit.

McCarthy, R-Calif., said he would leave Congress by the end of this month after he was ousted from the speakership two months ago. It comes on the heels of the House expelling scandal-plagued Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y.

House Republicans will only be able to lose three votes on any legislation to pass it without Democratic votes for the first several weeks of the new year, until special elections bring new members and change the margins yet again.

"I mean, we’re operating on razor-thin margins here," Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital. "Between God, gravity, indictments, and retirements, we're one day away from losing the majority depending on what happens."

KEVIN MCCARTHY, MATT GAETZ TRADE JABS AS FIERCE RIVALRY CONTINUES: HE 'BELONGS IN JAIL'

GOP Conference Vice Chair Blake Moore, R-Utah, conceded that the numbers were tight but argued it was not much different than their current situation.

"It's tough to operate in a four-seat [majority], it's tough to operate in a two-seat [majority]. We've got to be judicious in what we get done, and do something that we can all get behind," Moore said.

However, others echoed Garcia’s concerns that the slim majority would mean that any single member's absence is consequential when the House is in session.

MCCARTHY MAKES STUNNING ADMISSION ON BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: THE FACTS HAVE LED 'EVEN CLOSER'

Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said he did not believe it would make a difference "from a policy standpoint," but he added, "I just think from an attendance standpoint, it’d be hard."

"What are we going to be governing by, one vote? It's always a concern when people get sick, they get injured. It makes the whip’s job measurably more difficult with a narrower majority," said Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C.

A special election will take place to replace Santos in mid-February. California Gov. Gavin Newsom must set a date for an election to replace McCarthy.

That means House Republicans are likely to stay on thin margins through their Jan. 19 deadline for funding part of the government.

MORE AMERICANS THAN EVER THINK US HEADED IN WRONG DIRECTION AS CONGRESS' APPROVAL NEAR ROCK BOTTOM: SURVEY

Conservatives like Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, urged GOP leaders to resist giving Democrats concessions to pass legislation until the numbers in the House change.

"It's gonna be tight…We've dealt with it before, though, and I think that Speaker Johnson is doing an excellent job of keeping everybody together. And, frankly, I think people will realize how important it is to stay together," Self explained.

"What I do not want to see is bills put on the floor that pass with more Democrat than Republican votes. No, that is not a way to govern."