Why is the GOP changing their approach now?
Chairman James Comer of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, representing the Republican party from Kentucky, has steered away from advocating for the impeachment of President Biden, proposing instead the pursuit of criminal referrals as a more viable route towards accountability.
In an interview with hosts on Newsmax, Comer expressed his belief that the most effective means to ensure accountability lies in the issuance of criminal referrals. His stance comes following a hearing conducted by the Oversight Committee on Wednesday regarding the impeachment inquiry into President Biden’s actions. Amid growing uncertainties surrounding the investigation into the president’s business dealings, Democrats within the committee have been pressing their Republican counterparts to delineate the criminal misconduct forming the basis of their probe.
Comer articulated that the pursuit of “real accountability” for President Biden entails presenting substantive criminal referrals to the Department of Justice. He pointed out the likelihood of a Democratic-controlled Senate tabling any impeachment proceedings against Biden, drawing parallels to the fate of the Merrick Garland impeachment.
Although Comer expressed his readiness to vote for the impeachment of President Biden, he emphasized the necessity of the impeachment inquiry in furnishing additional tools for information gathering, crucial for legal battles.
During the hearing, Democratic representatives, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York, probed Comer and fellow GOP members to specify the alleged crime or misdemeanor under scrutiny. Ocasio-Cortez highlighted the absence of concrete charges and questioned the legitimacy of the impeachment process without clear accusations against Biden, given the frequent references to the “Biden family’s” purported wrongdoing.
Even following the hearing, Comer remained steadfast in his assertion that the Bidens had engaged in criminal activities by allegedly peddling access to the presidency. He took to online platforms to announce his intention to invite President Biden to testify before the committee, seeking explanations regarding the substantial financial transactions involving foreign entities purportedly facilitated by his family.
