Category: fox-news/politics/house-of-representatives

House Republican who oversaw Mayorkas impeachment won’t run for re-election

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House Homeland Security Chair, Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., announced Wednesday he will not run for re-election, citing Alejandro Mayorkas' impeachment as a reason to retire from Congress and return to his home district after serving three terms in Washington, D.C.

"At the start of the 118th Congress, I promised my constituents to pass legislation to secure our borders and to hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable. Today, with the House having passed H.R. 2 and Secretary Mayorkas impeached, it is time for me to return home," Green said in a statement. "In the last few months, in reading the writings of our Framers, I was reminded of their intent for representatives to be citizen-legislators, to serve for a season and then return home. Our country – and our Congress – is broken beyond most means of repair. I have come to realize our fight is not here within Washington, our fight is with Washington."

"As I have done my entire life, I will continue serving this country – but in a new capacity," Green continued Wednesday, not disclosing if he will run again for governor in 2026, where the seat will up for grabs because Republican Gov. Bill Lee is prohibited from running under Tennessee’s gubernatorial term limits.

"I am grateful to my wife, Camie, and my family, for standing beside me and for their service to our nation," he continued, announcing his retirement. 

MAYORKAS FIRST CABINET OFFICIAL TO BE IMPEACHED SINCE 1876, SUOZZI WINS SANTOS' SEAT AND MORE TOP HEADLINES

"During my time in the Army, they sacrificed dad and husband to multiple deployments – and as I have served here in Congress, they have supported me as I’ve been away most weeks," he said. "I also want to thank the constituents of Tennessee’s 7th District for the unbelievable honor to serve them in Congress – whose vote of confidence was not only evident in the wide margins in each election, but also without ever having a single primary opponent in my three elections. And finally, I want to thank my staff, whose unmatched hard work, dedication, and talent have resulted in our many victories and one of the lowest turnover rates in Congress."

Green is the fifth Republican committee chair to forgo re-election. The others are House Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger, R-Texas, Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., Financial Services Committee Chair Patrick T. McHenry, R-N.C., and House Select Committee on China Chair Mike Gallagher, R-Wis. 

Gallagher was one of just three Republican House members to vote against the impeachment of Mayorkas, joining with all House Democrats and preventing an initial measure from going forward. After that bid failed, a second attempt succeeded Tuesday, making Mayorkas the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached since 1876.

As chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Green spearheaded a months-long investigation of Mayorkas, his policies and his management of the department, ultimately concluding Tuesday that his conduct in office amounted to "high crimes and misdemeanors" worthy of impeachment. 

At the beginning of the 118th Congress, Green was selected as Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, becoming the only member of Congress to be selected at the start of his or her third term to chair a major legislative committee this century, his office said. 

Green previously served as an Army surgeon and in the state Senate and is from Montgomery County. 

USER’S MANUAL TO WHAT’S NEXT NOW THAT THE HOUSE IMPEACHED MAYORKAS

Green flirted with running for governor in 2017, but suspended his campaign after he was nominated by former President Trump to become the Army secretary. He later withdrew his nomination amid criticism over his remarks about Muslims and LGBTQ+ Americans, including saying that being transgender is a disease, according to the Associated Press. He also urged that a stand be taken against "the indoctrination of Islam" in public schools and referred to a "Muslim horde" that invaded Constantinople hundreds of years ago.

After winning his congressional seat in 2018, Green once again made headlines after hosting a town hall where he stated that vaccines cause autism. He later walked back his comments. 

Last April, the Trump campaign announced Green would be a part of the Trump 2024 Tennessee Federal Leadership team. 

In 2022, Green's middle Tennessee congressional seat was among seats that Republicans drastically carved up during redistricting. The 7th Congressional District was redrawn to include a significant portion of Nashville. The congressional map is now facing a federal lawsuit, but that case is not scheduled to go to trial until April 2025.

The GOP primary to replace Green is on Aug. 1, and candidates have primary ballot acces until the April 4 deadline, according to the Federal Elections Commission. So far on the Republican side, Caleb Stack has pulled petitions to run for the congressional district Green will vacate at the end of his term. 

In a brazen attempt at a political comeback, former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, who stepped down about five years ago amid now-dismissed criminal charges linked to her using taxpayer dollars to carry on an extramarital affair with her city-employed bodyguard, announced in December that she would run for Green's U.S. House seat as a Democrat. 

"I expect candidates who agree with Mark Green or are even more extreme will announce campaigns, and I look forward to taking on whoever makes it through that primary," Barry said in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Democrats blast DHS Secretary Mayorkas impeachment as GOP ‘political’ stunt: ‘No evidence of wrongdoing’

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House of Representatives Democrats are decrying the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as a "political" stunt.

Representative Anna Eshoo, D-C.A, said that Mayorka's historic impeachment on Tuesday was a "political stunt" and that there was "no evidence of wrongdoing."

"With no evidence of wrongdoing, House Republicans voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas today after the House rejected an identical resolution last week," Rep. Eshoo said. "This is an abuse of the solemn power of impeachment which the Constitution reserves for extraordinary circumstances when officials have engaged in serious misconduct. Secretary Mayorkas is the first cabinet secretary impeached in nearly 150 years and the first ever impeached without evidence of impropriety."

"Astonishingly, House Republicans took this drastic step while refusing to even consider the bipartisan border security bill proposed by Senate negotiators. It’s long past time for Republicans to abandon their harmful political stunts and instead work to advance real solutions to our nation’s challenges," the Representative continued.

HOUSE VOTES TO IMPEACH DHS SECRETARY MAYORKAS OVER BORDER CRISIS

Representative Pramila Jayapal, D-W.A, a member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, said that the "do-nothing" Republicans continue to "waste time and resources" on "baseless, partisan attacks."

"Today, the ‘do-nothing’ Republican Party continues to waste time and resources that could be spent working for the American people on baseless, partisan attacks of Biden Administration officials as they take up this sham impeachment vote of Secretary Mayorkas for the second time in two weeks, after an embarrassing failure last week," Rep. Jayapal said in a statement.

"There is no question that the immigration system is broken – and what the American people want and deserve is an orderly and humane system that properly processes people and modernizes an outdated immigration system that has not been updated in over 30 years to reflect for the needs of our American economy, communities, and families. The situation that we’re seeing at the southern border is a direct result of this failure to address the underlying system, compounded by the extreme policies of the Trump Administration," she continued.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., previously called the case against Mayorkas a "sham impeachment" and a "new low for House Republicans."

"This sham impeachment effort is another embarrassment for House Republicans," Schumer said. "The one and only reason for this impeachment is for Speaker Johnson to further appease Donald Trump."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that the vote moved forward "without a shred of evidence or legitimate Constitutional grounds."

HERE ARE THE 3 HOUSE REPUBLICANS WHO TORPEDOED MAYORKAS’ IMPEACHMENT VOTE

"House Republicans will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution for political gain rather than working to solve the serious challenges at our border," DHS spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said in a statement. "While Secretary Mayorkas was helping a group of Republican and Democratic Senators develop bipartisan solutions to strengthen border security and get needed resources for enforcement, House Republicans have wasted months with this baseless, unconstitutional impeachment.

President Joe Biden blasted House Republicans immediately after the vote.

"History will not look kindly on House Republicans for their blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship that has targeted an honorable public servant in order to play petty political games," he said.

Biden said that Republicans have pushed Mayorkas' "baseless impeachment" and rejected bipartisan plans.

"Instead of staging political stunts like this, Republicans with genuine concerns about the border should want Congress to deliver more border resources and stronger border security. Sadly, the same Republicans pushing this baseless impeachment are rejecting bipartisan plans Secretary Mayorkas and others in my administration have worked hard on to strengthen border security at this very moment — reversing from years of their own demands to pass stronger border bills," Biden continued. 

Biden said that Congress has to give his administration the tools to address the southern border and that the House GOP has to "decide whether to join us to solve the problem or keep playing politics with the border."

HOUSE FAILS TO IMPEACH DHS SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS IN MAJOR BLOW TO GOP

"Giving up on real solutions right when they are needed most in order to play politics is not what the American people expect from their leaders. Congress needs to act to give me, Secretary Mayorkas, and my administration the tools and resources needed to address the situation at the border. The House also needs to pass the Senate’s national security supplemental right away. We will continue pursuing real solutions to the challenges Americans face, and House Republicans have to decide whether to join us to solve the problem or keep playing politics with the border," Biden said.

The Democrat's statement came after Mayorkas was impeached by the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon.

A Cabinet secretary has not been impeached by the U.S. Congress since 1876.

The 214-213 vote was always expected to be tight; Mayorkas narrowly escaped impeachment last week when every single House Democrat showed up to shield him, including Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who temporarily left the hospital where he was recovering from surgery to cast his vote.

Three Republicans also voted down the effort: Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., Ken Buck, R-Colo., and Tom McClintock, R-Calif.

Reps. Anna Eshoo, Pramila Jayapal, Sen. Schumer and the Department for Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

User’s Manual to what’s next now that the House impeached Mayorkas

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The House has now impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Think of impeachment as an indictment. It’s up to the Senate to act as a "court" and judge whether the accused is guilty of the charges in a trial.

The impeachment of cabinet officials is rare. The House has now impeached multiple Presidents and federal judges. But only one cabinet secretary prior to Mayorkas. That was Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876. 

Don’t expect anything to start until late February or early March. The House will send the articles of impeachment plus the House "managers" over to the Senate to formally begin the trial.

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"Impeachment managers" are House members who serve as prosecutors. They present the findings of the House before the Senate. Senators sit as jurors.

There is a bit of a ceremony to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate from the House and for the Senate to receive the articles. In this case, Acting Clerk of the House Kevin McCumber and House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland escort the articles of impeachment and House managers across the Capitol Rotunda to the Senate. The Senate gathers, usually with all senators sitting at their desks. Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson then receives the House entourage at the Senate door and reads the following proclamation to the Senate.

"All persons are commanded to keep silence, on pain of imprisonment, while the House of Representatives is exhibiting to the Senate of the United States articles of impeachment against Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas."

The articles are then presented to the Senate and the managers are introduced. That is all they usually do on the first day of a Senate trial– although FOX was told the Senate might try to squeeze everything into one day.

BIDEN’S EXPORT SUSPENSION ON LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS COULD SPIKE YOUR HEAT BILL

Under Senate impeachment trial rule III, the body is supposed to wait until the next day to swear-in senators as jurors. But FOX is told that could happen on day one in this instance.

According to Senate rules, the trial must begin the day after the Senate receives the articles at 1 pm in the afternoon. Trials are supposed to run Monday through Saturday. We had Saturday sessions in both impeachment trials of former President Trump in 2020 and 2021.

It is unlikely that U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts presides over a possible Mayorkas trial. Senate impeachment rule IV requires the Chief Justice to preside over cases involving the President or Vice President. In this case, it’s likely that Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray (D-Wash.) presides over a Mayorkas tribunal.

Now we get to perhaps the most interesting question of all. How much of a trial is there? 

The Senate cannot immediately bypass a trial. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has announced that Mayorkas' trial will begin later in February. The House has named its 11 impeachment managers. Senators will be sworn in as the jury.

Senators can decide to hold a full trial, or potentially, move to dismiss or actually have straight, up or down votes on convicting or exonerating Mayorkas. The Senate could also send the articles to a committee for review.

SHOOTING BLANKS: HOW REPUBLICANS MISFIRED WHEN THEY TRIED TO IMPEACH MAYORKAS

In the 1998 impeachment trial of former President Clinton, late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) made a motion to dismiss the charges.

There will eventually be either a vote to convict/exonerate Mayorkas or dismiss the charges. Senate Republicans will watch very closely if Senate Democrats engineer any vote to short-circuit the trial. The GOP will take note of how multiple vulnerable Democrats facing competitive re-election bids in battleground districts vote.

If they vote to end the trial or clear Mayorkas, Republicans will likely enroll that into their campaigns against those Democratic senators. Keep in mind that FOX polling data revealed that border security was the number one issue facing voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. Republicans will examine the trial-related votes of Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) – if she runs. 

But the Senate must at least entertain the articles for a day or two – and then render some sort of judgment.

House votes to impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas over border crisis

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Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has been impeached by the House of Representatives.

A Cabinet secretary has not been impeached by the U.S. Congress since 1876.

Tuesday evening’s vote marked House Republicans’ second attempt at impeaching Mayorkas. GOP lawmakers targeted the Biden official over the ongoing migrant crisis at the U.S. border, accusing him of deliberately flaunting existing immigration law and worsening the situation. 

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The 214-213 vote was always expected to be tight; Mayorkas narrowly escaped impeachment last week when every single House Democrat showed up to shield him, including Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who temporarily left the hospital where he was recovering from surgery to cast his vote. 

Three Republicans also voted down the effort – Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., Ken Buck, R-Colo., and Tom McClintock, R-Calif. 

HOUSE FAILS TO IMPEACH DHS SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS IN MAJOR BLOW TO GOP

Each criticized Mayorkas’ handling of the border but had reservations over whether it rose to the level of impeachment. McClintock warned it could set a precedent for political impeachments that could harm GOP officials in the future.

"Swapping one leftist for another is a fantasy, solves nothing, excuses Biden’s culpability, and unconstitutionally expands impeachment that someday will bite Republicans," McClintock said last week.

However, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., dismissed any concerns about precedent in comments to reporters hours before the vote on Tuesday.

"Mayorkas is an exceptional case in U.S. history," Johnson said, accusing him of having done more "damage on the country than any Cabinet secretary that's ever been."

He also addressed the very likely scenario that the impeachment would go nowhere in the Democrat-held Senate. 

HERE ARE THE 3 HOUSE REPUBLICANS WHO TORPEDOED MAYORKAS’ IMPEACHMENT VOTE

"The House has a constitutional responsibility, as I've said many times. It's probably the heaviest next to a declaration of war. And we have to do our job regardless of what the other chamber does," Johnson said.

Two impeachment articles were approved against Mayorkas by the House Homeland Security Committee. One accused him of having "refused to comply with Federal immigration laws" and the other of having violated "public trust."

The Department of Homeland Security criticized House Republicans for holding a second Mayorkas impeachment vote on Tuesday, citing comments by GOP lawmakers who have called the effort a waste of time.

"House Republicans’ baseless push to impeach Secretary Mayorkas has already failed once, with bipartisan opposition. If Members of Congress care about our national security, they should listen to their fellow Republicans and stop wasting time on this pointless, unconstitutional impeachment – time that could be spent addressing the issue by advancing bipartisan legislation to fix our broken immigration laws and provide needed resources for border security," the department said.

House GOP gunning for testimony from Biden Special Counsel Robert Hur, sources say

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The House Judiciary Committee is in talks to have Special Counsel Robert Hur potentially testify on Capitol Hill after releasing his report on President Biden’s handling of classified documents, Fox News Digital has learned.

Two sources told Fox News Digital that House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan’s committee is looking at late February or early March for possible dates for Hur to testify.

House Republicans appear poised for a lengthy probe into Hur’s findings after he released a 388-page report clearing President Biden of wrongdoing despite having "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials."

SPECIAL COUNSEL CALLS BIDEN 'SYMPATHETIC, WELL-MEANING, ELDERLY MAN WITH A POOR MEMORY,' BRINGS NO CHARGES

Hur said Biden came off "as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" and that "it would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him-by then a former president well into his eighties-of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness."

Republican lawmakers have argued that Hur’s decision not to recommend charges against Biden is an example of the two-tiered justice system in the U.S. It’s also spurred speculation over whether the 81-year-old president is unfit for office.

Jordan, R-Ohio, along with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday calling for him to release the transcripts and recordings of Biden’s interview with the special counsel’s office.

BIDEN RETAINED RECORDS RELATED TO UKRAINE, CHINA; COMER DEMANDS 'UNFETTERED ACCESS' AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

In the letter, they accused Biden of lying at a press conference after the report’s release when he said, "I did not share classified information. I did not share it" when asked whether he disclosed the sensitive information to his ghostwriter. 

"As explained to Mr. Hur in October, there is concern that President Biden may have retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings," they wrote.

"Further, we seek to understand whether the White House or President Biden’s personal attorneys placed any limitations or scoping restrictions during the interview that would have precluded a line of inquiry regarding evidence (emails, text messages, or witness statements) directly linking the President to troublesome foreign payments."

COMER DEMANDS ANSWERS ON WHETHER BIDEN CLASSIFIED RECORDS MENTION COUNTRIES RELATED TO FAMILY BUSINESS DEALS

The Judiciary Committee’s discussion with Hur is likely to come within days of Hunter Biden’s closed-door deposition in front of Jordan and Comer’s panels, the sources said.

The president’s son is sitting down with impeachment inquiry investigators on Feb. 28.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and DOJ for comment on Hur’s potential testimony.

Biden met with chairman of Chinese energy firm Hunter did business with in 2017, ex-associate testifies

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President Biden met with the chairman of the Chinese energy firm Hunter Biden sought to create a joint venture with at the Four Seasons in Washington D.C. in 2017, a former business partner of the first son told congressional investigators.

Rob Walker, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, testified at the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees earlier this month as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

HUNTER BIDEN'S EX-ASSOCIATE TONY BOBULINSKI HEADS TO CAPITOL HILL THIS WEEK TO TESTIFY IN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

Walker, during his closed-door transcribed interview, told congressional investigators that Joe Biden attended a meeting where he, Hunter Biden, their other business partners and CEFC Chairman Ye Jianming were having lunch.

"I don’t remember the exact time, but I remember being in Washington, D.C., and the former vice president stopped by. We were having lunch," Walker testified, according to a transcript of his interview reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Walker said he did not know the "exact" date, but said "it was 20-probably-17 at some point."

"I can say it was for certain he was out of office," Walker said, referring to Joe Biden being out of the Obama administration at the time of the lunch.

HUNTER BIDEN WAS PAID $100K THROUGH JOINT-VENTURE WITH CHINESE ENERGY FIRM, EX-ASSOCIATE TESTIFIED

Walker said the lunch took place "at the Four Seasons in a restaurant in a private room."

"I’m certain—I’m certain Ye was there," Walker said, noting there were also other CEFC business partners.

Ye Jianming, at the time, was the chairman of Chinese energy company CEFC.

Walker said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss "ways we could work together."

"I don’t think we had structured a deal on how to work together at this point," Walker said, noting the meeting lasted "probably an hour and a half," but said Biden "was not" there for the entirety of the meeting.

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

"The former vice president was not there the entire time. He was there maybe 10 minutes," Walker said. "He spoke nice, you know, normal pleasantries. I think he probably did most of the talking and then left." 

Walker testified that Biden addressed the entire group—which consisted of approximately 10 CEFC-linked individuals— during his visit.

Walker testified that the visit, and Biden’s appearance, "likely" took place before his Robinson Walker LLC received $3 million from State Energy HK Limited—a CEFC-linked entity.

But Walker maintained that Joe Biden was not involved in any of his business ventures with Hunter Biden, despite his appearance at the lunch.

Walker did, however, say that early correspondence to CEFC was sent on behalf of the group—which included himself, James Gilliar, Jim Biden, and Hunter Biden—by Hunter Biden.

FLASHBACK: HUNTER BIDEN BUSINESS ASSOCIATE'S TEXT MESSAGES INDICATE MEETING WITH JOE BIDEN

"He had an interesting last name that would probably get people in the door," Walker said.

When pressed again as to why correspondence came from Hunter Biden, Walker testified: "It had just seemed—if a U.S. entity was going to have a foreign national represent them, It would probably make more sense to come from Hunter versus me."

"Because he’s the son of the vice president at the time, correct?" Walker was asked.

"He is the son of a vice president at the time, yes," Walker replied.

"So it made more sense to get this business deal to put him as the front-facing person, right?"

Walker replied: "Yes." 

The House Oversight Committee told Fox News Digital that it can "now confirm Joe Biden met with nearly every foreign national who funneled money to his son, including Russian oligarch Yelena Baturina, Romanian oligarch Kenes Rakishev, Burisma’s corporate secretary Vadym Pozharsky, Jonathan Li of BHR, and CEFC Chairman Ye Jianming."

Biden attended dinners at Washington D.C. restaurant Cafe Milano in Georgtown with Baturina, Rakishev and Pozharsky in 2014 and 2015. Biden also met with Li of BHR in China in 2013. Biden met with Ye at the meeting in 2017, according to testimony from Hunter Biden's ex-business partners Rob Walker and Devon Archer. 

JOE BIDEN RECEIVED $40K IN 'LAUNDERED CHINA MONEY' FROM BROTHER IN 2017, COMER SAYS

The revelations come ahead of highly-anticipated testimony from another ex-business associate of the first son--Tony Bobulinski. 

Bobulinski is set to testify behind closed doors Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. at the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees. 

Bobulinski, who worked with Hunter Biden to create the joint-venture SinoHawk Holdings with Chinese energy company CEFC, said he met with Joe Biden in 2017. 

Bobulinski, in December, demanded Biden "stop lying" about that meeting and called on him to "correct the record."

"Why is Joe Biden blatantly lying to the American people and the world by claiming that he did not meet with me face to face?" Bobulinski told Fox News Digital in a statement. "He should call his son Hunter and brother Jim as they can remind him of the facts. The American people deserve the truth!"

HUNTER DEMANDED $10M FROM CHINESE ENERGY FIRM BECAUSE 'BIDENS ARE THE BEST,' HAVE 'CONNECTIONS'

He added: "I call on Mr. Biden to stop lying and correct the record."

Despite Biden’s recent denials of involvement with his son’s business dealings, text messages dating back to May 2017 reveal that Biden met with Bobulinski months after he left the vice president's office. Fox News Digital first reported on the text messages and that meeting in October 2020.

The meeting on May 2, 2017, would have taken place just 11 days before the now-infamous May 13, 2017, email, which included a discussion of "remuneration packages" for six people in a business deal with a Chinese energy firm. The email appeared to identify Biden as "Chair / Vice Chair depending on agreement with CEFC," in a reference to now-bankrupt CEFC China Energy Co.

The email includes a note that "Hunter has some office expectations he will elaborate." A proposed equity split references "20" for "H" and "10 held by H for the big guy?" with no further details.

Bobulinski has repeatedly said "the big guy" was Joe Biden. IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who claimed that politics had influenced the years-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden, also said "the big guy" was known to be Joe Biden.

The president's brother, Jim Biden, is expected to testify on Feb. 21. Hunter Biden is expected to appear for his deposition on Feb. 28. 

GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher announces retirement from House: ‘Congress is no place to grow old’

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Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher announced Saturday that he will not seek re-election to his post in the House.

"Eight years ago, when I first ran for Congress, I promised to treat my time in office as a high-intensity deployment. Through my bipartisan work on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, chairing the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, and chairing the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, we’ve accomplished more on this deployment than I could have ever imagined," Gallagher said in a statement.

"But the Framers intended citizens to serve in Congress for a season and then return to their private lives," the congressman continued. "Electoral politics was never supposed to be a career and, trust me, Congress is no place to grow old. And so, with a heavy heart, I have decided not to run for re-election."

LEADING HOUSE REPUBLICAN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM CONGRESS: 'PRIVILEGE OF MY LIFE'

Earlier this week, Gallagher was one of just three Republican House members to vote against the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, joining with all House Democrats and preventing the measure from going forward.

In his statement, Gallagher, who has represented Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District in the House since 2017, also offered his appreciation for those who supported his career over time.

"Thank you to the good people of Northeast Wisconsin for the honor of a lifetime. Four terms serving you has strengthened my conviction that America is the greatest country in the history of the world. And though my title may change, my mission will always remain the same: deter America’s enemies and defend the Constitution."

In comments provided to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Gallagher said he plans to leave Congress and enter the private sector to spend more time with his family.

"I really just feel like I’ve accomplished much more than I even thought I could when I set out, and I firmly don’t believe that the best use for the next chapter of my career is staying in Congress for another decade," Gallagher told the outlet.

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"Even though my title may change, my job may change, my mission is always going to remain the same," he added. "My mission is to prevent World War III. I’ve dedicated myself to restoring conventional deterrence in order to prevent a war with China, and so whatever I do next will be an extension of that mission."

The announcement from Gallagher, who served as a United States Marine Corps intelligence officer, comes after a handful of other Republicans recently announced their intentions to retire from Congress.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., announced Thursday that she will not be seeking re-election to the House this year, saying in a post to social media that "the time has come to serve the people of Eastern Washington in new ways."

Gallagher's current term expires on Jan. 3, 2025.

Hunter Biden was paid $100K through joint-venture with Chinese energy firm, ex-associate testified

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Hunter Biden was paid $100,000 a month and James Biden was paid $65,000 a month in 2017 from their joint-venture with Chinese Communist Party-linked Chinese energy firm CEFC, a former associate testified to the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees.

Mervyn Yan, who testified behind closed doors at the committees last month, said he did not know the nature of the work the Bidens provided, according to a transcript of the testimony obtained by Fox News Digital.

FORMER HUNTER BIDEN ASSOCIATE TONY BOBULINSKI TO TESTIFY BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AS PART OF IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

Yan testified that he met Hunter Biden and James Biden in May 2017 through a CEFC business partner Gongwen Dong, also known as "Kevin." Yan said that meeting lasted less than 15 minutes, but that it was the impetus for the joint-business venture, Hudson West III, with the Bidens.

Yan said the business venture was intended to facilitate the investment of Chinese energy infrastructure firms – like CEFC – into U.S. energy companies in exchange for energy exports to China.

"It was in May 2017, four of us. And then Kevin asked me to come to a meeting. And then eventually we met. I met Hunter Biden and James Biden and Kevin, just four of us… in Midtown. That was a relatively quick meeting, roughly 15 minutes, because I noticed the time because I couldn’t even get a water in that place," Yan told the committees.

DEMOCRATS BLAST IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY AFTER GOP WITNESS SAYS HE WAS 'UNAWARE' OF JOE BIDEN'S ROLE IN FAMILY BIZ

"So basically we shake hands and basically say we can work together," Yan continued, adding that he would be "sort of like on-the-ground person who executes and pretty much sources the infrastructure deals." Yan said he would be "working closely with Hunter."

Yan was asked what he thought Hunter Biden "brought to the table" in the joint-venture.

"I don’t know," Yan testified. "I don’t know what he can contribute."

Yan said he did not know if Hunter Biden had "knowledge" in the energy infrastructure field.

Yan said Hunter Biden was given a $500,000 retainer, and then paid $100,000 per month. Yan also testified that Hunter Biden had been working for CEFC prior to their introductory meeting, but did not know for how long.

JOE BIDEN RECEIVED $40K IN 'LAUNDERED CHINA MONEY' FROM BROTHER IN 2017, COMER SAYS

Hunter Biden, though, in correspondence that was shown to Yan during his interview last month, initially requested $30 million for introductions in the industry.

Fox News Digital last year reported correspondence between Hunter Biden and Gongwen Dong, in which the first son demands $10 million to "further the interest" of the joint-venture, saying that the "Bidens are the best I know at doing exactly" what the chairman of the CCP-linked firm wanted. 

"The Biden's [sic] are the best I know at doing exactly what the Chairman wants from this partnership," Hunter Biden writes in the WhatsApp message. "Please let’s not quibble over peanuts."

According to a September 2020 report released by the Senate Homeland Security Committee and Senate Finance Committee on their investigation into Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, Ye Jianming, Gongwen Dong and other Chinese nationals that Hunter Biden had business associations with were linked to the Chinese Communist government and the People's Liberation Army.

That Senate report, showed that on Aug. 8, 2017, just days after this WhatsApp message, CEFC wired nearly $5 million to the bank account for Hudson West III, a firm that Hunter Biden opened with Chinese associates.

"These funds may have originated from a loan issued from the account of a company called Northern International Capital Holdings, a Hong Kong-based investment company identified at one time as a ‘substantial shareholder’ in CEFC International Limited along with Ye," the report stated. "It is unclear whether Hunter Biden was a half-owner of Hudson West III at the time."

The report also stated, "the same day the $5 million was received, and continuing through Sept. 25, 2018, Hudson West III sent request payments to Owasco, Hunter Biden’s firm." The report stated the payments were described as consulting fees and reached "$4,790,375.25 in just over a year."

Meanwhile, Yan testified that none of the five infrastructure deals he worked on with the Bidens in 2017 came to fruition, but said Hunter and James Biden were still compensated for their work in attempting to bring business.

Yan testified as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

Yan told congressional investigators that Joe Biden was not involved in the joint-venture, and said neither Hunter nor James Biden ever suggested he would be involved.

HUNTER DEMANDED $10M FROM CHINESE ENERGY FIRM BECAUSE 'BIDENS ARE THE BEST,' HAVE 'CONNECTIONS'

Yan also testified that he was not aware of any funds from the joint-venture going to Joe Biden. Yan maintained that he was never in contact with Joe Biden, and that Hunter and James Biden did not discuss the then-former vice president in their conversations.

Yan was pointedly asked if he was ever told that he could receive political favors from Joe Biden if he engaged in business with Hunter Biden, to which he replied in the negative.

"Did you engage in a business relationship with Hunter and James with the expectation that you would receive political favors from Joe Biden?" Yan was asked.

"No," Yan said.

After his interview last month, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., pointed to Yan’s testimony in which he "admitted on the record the Bidens had no experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors and was not sure what they brought to the table."

Comer has stressed that evidence collected by congressional investigators reveals that President Biden "was at least aware of some of his family’s business ventures and sought to influence potential business deals that financially benefited his family."

Yan’s testimony came as the committee continues to interview former business associates of Hunter Biden. Next up is Tony Bobulinski on Feb. 13. Then, James Biden will appear for a closed-door deposition on Feb. 21, and Hunter Biden's deposition is set for Feb. 28.

Gaetz says George Santos ‘never missed more’ following failed Mayorkas ouster

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Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz said his former colleague George Santos has never been missed more following a failed impeachment vote.

The GOP failed to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday after three Republicans defected from the party line and voted against the measure.

"As I am watching that board, and it’s 215-215, I have never missed George Santos more," Gaetz told Newsmax.

Those who voted no were Reps. Tom McClintock, R-Calif.; Ken Buck, R-Colo.; and Mike Gallagher, R-Wis. The lawmakers said while they disapproved of the job Mayorkas is doing at the southern border, the threshold for impeachment had not been met and warned it could be used against future Republican administrations.

HOUSE FAILS TO IMPEACH DHS SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS IN MAJOR BLOW TO GOP

The final vote came to 214-216 after Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green showed up on the House floor in scrubs to vote against the measure.

Santos was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 1 because of charges he faces related to allegations of defrauding campaign contributors and, according to a House Ethics Committee Report, using campaign funds to purchase luxury items and spa treatments.

HERE ARE THE 3 HOUSE REPUBLICANS WHO TORPEDOED MAYORKAS' IMPEACHMENT VOTE

"I also wondered, wouldn’t it have been nice to still have Kevin McCarthy in the House of Representatives? Never thought you’d hear me say that," the Florida representative said. 

McCarthy announced in early December that he would step down, two months after his historic ouster as House speaker. 

The announcement capped a stunning end to a House career for the one-time deli counter owner, who ascended through state and national politics to become second in line to the presidency, until a cluster of hard-right conservatives engineered his removal in October.

"Kevin McCarthy — after being dislodged as speaker — took his marbles and went home," Gaetz added during his appearance.

McCarthy's departure set off a scramble to replace him that is being sorted out in court. A state judge earlier ruled that a McCarthy protégé, Republican Assemblyman Vince Fong, could appear on the ballot as a candidate for the former speaker's seat, even though he earlier filed for reelection for his Assembly seat. That decision is being appealed by the state.

McCarthy is the only speaker in history to be voted out of the job.

Fox News' Greg Wehner, Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

‘Frustrated’ Republicans leave Capitol Hill after back-to-back defeats on Mayorkas impeachment, Israel aid

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Republican leaders failed to pass two of their major policy bills Tuesday night, a blowup so massive it left GOP lawmakers irritated upon leaving Washington for a long weekend Wednesday morning.

"Some people are frustrated. Very few people are surprised," Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich., said.

The House GOP conference, dealing with highly divided factions and a razor-thin majority, is again at odds after narrowly failing to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. It was followed by the defeat of a standalone Israel aid bill that Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had announced over the weekend.

"An unmitigated disaster" was how Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., described the situation to Fox News Digital. "I don't think either of those votes moved our party or our country forward."

JOHNSON CAUGHT BETWEEN WARRING HOUSE GOP FACTIONS: ‘DRIFTING TOWARD MOB RULE'

He argued that ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., would not have brought the bills to the floor if he was uncertain of their passage.

"I don't think we would have had that vote on Israel. I mean, what did it accomplish? And then I think it was embarrassing to lose the vote on Mayorkas. And I think [under McCarthy] we would have either had the votes for it or we wouldn't have voted on it," Massie said.

Some have blamed Johnson for bringing the bills to the floor, while others attacked the three House Republicans who voted against impeaching Mayorkas.

SPEAKER JOHNSON ENDORSES BIPARTISAN TAX BILL AS 'CONSERVATIVE,' 'PRO-GROWTH' REFORM

"Are we in the majority? I'm not sure. Because it doesn't seem like it. We're not acting like it," Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. "You’ve gotta know how to count votes, I guess. But, hey, listen, I know that [Johnson] wanted the job. He can have the job."

Republicans were poised to impeach Mayorkas Tuesday night until Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who was recovering from surgery, made a surprise appearance still wearing hospital clothing to tie the vote. It seemed to catch GOP leaders and even some Democrats by surprise.

Meanwhile, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy, warned Johnson he was following a similar path as the ex-leader by putting an Israel aid bill up for a vote without offsetting its cost with spending cuts elsewhere.

The House previously passed a $14 billion Israel aid bill that would’ve been offset by cuts to IRS spending, but the measure was never taken up by the Senate.

"The best thing I thought the speaker did was the Israel funding with a pay-for, because that had a chance to break what I call a suboptimal path that we've been locked into for decades here," Biggs said. "I thought, what a shame it is that you had this big victory, you know, which actually made you different than McCarthy, and then you reverted back to this last night."

MAYORKAS LASHES OUT AT ‘BASELESS’ GOP ALLEGATIONS AHEAD OF KEY IMPEACHMENT VOTE

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who also voted to oust McCarthy, said her frustration was with the Republicans who were not on board with impeachment.

"This is a defining moment for our nation, and we have the policies to fix this dire situation, and you’re going against those policies? I don't know how you go home with that," Mace said. "I made the right vote. … I'm voting the will of the people. The people who voted against that, Democrats and Republicans alike, they have to take that home."

Freshman Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., fumed over the Mayorkas impeachment’s failure.

"We should’ve taken that sorry rascal out," he said. 

But Collins said he did not see a difference between House Republicans’ status under McCarthy versus Johnson.

"It's basically the same. And, to Johnson's credit, man, you know, he was voted in, and he was already behind the eight ball," Collins said. "So, he's gonna have to take a few shots to get back into position."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Johnson's office for comment.