House Republicans James Comer and Jim Jordan, who are spearheading an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, declined to support Representative Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat, when he proposed a motion to impeach the president.
In an attempt to expose what he referred to as a “phony” investigation, Moskowitz made a move to bring the motion to a vote on Wednesday, challenging GOP lawmakers.
The Context
This Article Includes
Kentucky Republican Comer, who serves as the chair of the House Oversight Committee, has been spearheading an investigation into the alleged involvement of President Biden and the benefits he may have received from his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings. Comer has been collaborating with Ohio Republican Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, in this endeavor.
The White House has consistently refuted any involvement of Biden in his son’s dealings, with the president dismissing it as a “groundless political maneuver.”
Comer and Jordan have been conducting the probe for over a year, alleging wrongdoing by Biden. However, despite their claims of having evidence, they have not yet taken any action to call for a vote on the matter.
What We Know
During a committee hearing regarding the Biden impeachment probe, Moskowitz, a member of the Oversight Committee, directed his remarks towards Comer.
“Why not proceed with the impeachment?” he questioned. “Continuing to expend millions of dollars of the taxpayers’ money seems unnecessary if we already believe he has committed a high crime or misdemeanor. What are we waiting for?”
Chairman Jordan was also present at the meeting, and there was a question directed towards him. The inquiry was about the delay in calling for a vote in the committee and the anticipated timing for it to occur.
Jordan fired back, asserting, “Unlike you guys, we don’t engage in snap impeachments. We adhere to the facts and conduct oversight in accordance with the Constitution.”
In his address to the American people, Moskowitz emphasized that there is no concrete evidence to support the claim that he committed a high crime and misdemeanor. He further added that if such evidence were to surface, he would support the call for impeachment.
Moskowitz extended a warm welcome to Jordan, inviting them to second a motion for the impeachment of Biden.
“I believe it’s high time we take action today. Let’s not hesitate any longer and make the call,” Moskowitz suggested earnestly. “I’ll take the initiative, Mr. Chairman. I’m here to support you. Can you second it? Make the motion to impeach President Biden, if you will.”
Jordan and Comer responded to Moskowitz’s statement with silence.
According to Moskowitz, he firmly believes that the impeachment of Joe Biden will never materialize. He confidently asserts that this is due to the lack of evidence. In his view, the ongoing proceedings are nothing more than a show, completely devoid of authenticity.
In response to the incident, the Oversight Committee spokesman conveyed their views to Newsweek via email on Wednesday. According to the spokesman, Rep. Moscowitz’s choice to appear in a costume was seen as a lack of seriousness in his role as a member of Congress.
The spokesman mentioned the mask of Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moscowitz wore while heading to the hearing. The purpose behind wearing the mask was to accuse House Republicans of being deceived by Moscow’s disinformation. However, it’s worth noting that the mask was not worn inside the hearing room.
When asked about the mask, the congressman playfully imitated Putin, stating, “I just came here to express my gratitude to James Comer for effectively utilizing all the intelligence in the committee.”
Biden’s campaign and the White House were both contacted by Newsweek via email for comment. Additionally, Jordan was reached out to via email, while Moskowitz was contacted via phone for comment.
The Views
During his opening statement at Wednesday’s hearing, Comer portrayed Biden as either “complicit” or “incompetent” in his family’s business dealings.
According to him, there are only two possible explanations for this situation. The first one is that Joe Biden is fully aware of his actions and understands that a simple handshake, a wink, and a smile are sufficient for him to maintain what Jim Biden referred to as ‘plausible deniability.’
According to a report released in February by the Department of Justice’s Special Counsel Robert Hur, Joe Biden has been portrayed as an elderly man with a poor memory who is being guided by his family and is unaware of the people he is meeting with or the messages he is conveying. This statement was made by Comer, emphasizing Biden’s alleged lack of awareness and memory.
What’s Next?
As Comer and Jordan proceed with their impeachment investigation of Biden, the president is actively campaigning for reelection against his rival, former President Donald Trump, who is widely considered as the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.
According to a recent poll conducted by The Economist/YouGov, Biden and Trump are currently in a close race. The national poll, which took place from March 16 to March 19, shows Biden leading Trump by just 1 point, with 44 percent of the respondents favoring Biden and 43 percent favoring Trump. The poll surveyed 1,682 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percent (adjusted for weighting) and plus or minus 3.4 percent (registered voters).
