Senate Republicans have been skeptical of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s recent statements about beginning an impeachment probe against President Biden. One senator specifically cautioned against following the example of Democrats who “cheapened” the process for former President Donald Trump.
Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-South Dakota, told reporters on Tuesday that the Democrat claims are leading him to think that they do have proof. Alternatively, “they believe they have evidence that could rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors,” as Thune put it.
McCarthy went even further in his discussion of impeaching Biden on Monday night’s “Hannity,” stating, “This is rising to the level of an impeachment inquiry.” A complete probe into allegations of corruption within the Biden family, the speaker said, may be warranted by evidence revealed by House committees’ investigations of the president.
Whistleblowers inside the Internal Revenue Service have spoken out about the Bidens being singled out by the government for protection. McCarthy said when you have a source that says the Bidens were compromised, should you just brush it off or look into it?
McCarthy said on Tuesday that an impeachment investigation is the only method to look into it. The committee would have the authority to obtain all relevant records.
Cornyn said, “No, it’s not,” when asked whether it was a good thing. But, he said unfortunately karma is a real thing.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) claims significant unanswered concerns concerning the Biden family, such as whether or not the president knew about his son Hunter’s international business transactions and whether or not Biden personally benefited from them. However, Kennedy argued that impeachment should not occur over just political differences.
As Kennedy put it, the only way a president should be removed from office is if there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that they have committed a significant crime or misdemeanor.
With McCarthy’s small GOP majority, it would be tough to impeach the president in the House. If an impeachment came to a vote, it would pressure his more moderate members from areas who voted for Biden. Given the Senate’s Democratic majority and the supermajority vote required to remove Biden, it is very doubtful that the Senate would vote to convict Biden, as it did in neither of Trump’s impeachments.
At least one Republican in the Senate, however, is pleased that the House would have more significant resources to investigate the Bidens.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) warned that the White House’s lack of cooperation might soon force lawmakers to form a special committee to investigate possible impeachment proceedings.
He said the American people have a right to know whether their president is corrupt.