House Republicans are moving forward with plans to impeach President Joe Biden by the end of the year.
Even though they're still gathering evidence and trying to build support within the caucus, many House Republicans feel compelled to impeach because they fear it will create the impression they've cleared the president of any wrongdoing related to his son Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings, reported CNN.
“It will happen,” said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN). “But it won’t pass the Senate.”
House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) remains publicly noncommittal about launching an impeachment inquiry, which would line up on the calendar similar to Donald Trump's first impeachment in 2019 if opened next month, but even pro-impeachment Republicans say some donors are nervous about the political risks of the move -- which would likely result in a vote to impeach.
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“Once the barn doors are open, so to speak, the horses are out,” one senior House Republican told CNN. “You’re not gonna get them back in the barn.”
However, Republicans who hail from swing districts, such as Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), are skittish about taking formal action toward impeachment proceedings without stronger evidence of wrongdoing.
“It seems apparent that President Biden wasn’t being honest when he denied any involvement in his son’s business dealings,” Bacon said. “Further, it’s apparent tens of millions of dollars were involved that prospered the family. Did the president commit high crimes or misdemeanors? The committees need to do more digging to clarify this. There’s tons of smoke, but let’s verify what’s beneath that all.”
Some Republicans believe that an impeachment inquiry is necessary to find the evidence that House committees so far have been unable to turn up directly linking the president to his son's business ventures, but they also feel pressure from voters who want direct action instead of more strongly worded letters.
"Basing it on the handful of colleagues I’ve spoken to over the last two to three days by phone, and the people here," said one senior House Republican who has fielded calls from angry constituents, "I think there’s a growing sense that people understand we have a responsibility here.”