Rudderless Republicans press forward with impeachment as another shutdown looms

House Republicans removed their own leader and haven't agreed on a new one, but they're pressing forward with an effort to impeach President Joe Biden.

Eight GOP lawmakers voted to remove former House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) over anger at the stopgap budget he passed with Democratic support -- but that agreement expires next month and another possible government shutdown looms, reported The Daily Beast.

“Every single day House Republicans spend on their extreme, partisan funding bills or waiting to select a new Speaker is a day we are not doing what we should be doing,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. “House Republicans cannot just wake up on November 16 and decide they are ready to negotiate. This House Republican leadership chaos all but guarantees we will need another Continuing Resolution to keep the government functioning while we finish our work on final 2024 funding bills.”

No speaker had ever been removed by their own colleagues before last week, and even Republicans feel a sense of urgency.

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“We have 44 days until the next government shutdown, and we're getting closer to that every single day,” said Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND). “Israel's in a ground war in Gaza right now. We have to get a speaker, but we have to get a speaker with the tools to be able to succeed — otherwise, we're in the same boat we were last week.”

“It’s not ideal,” Armstrong added.

Republican hardliners insist on continuing the impeachment inquiry McCarthy announced, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) says both leading candidates to replace him – Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Steve Scalise (R-LA) – have committed to continuing that even though committee work has been disrupted.

“The American people expect Congress to hold the Biden administration accountable and the House Oversight Committee’s important work will continue,” said a spokesman for the House Oversight Committee. “The Committee is continuing to conduct meaningful oversight and will take further action in the coming days.”

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) emphasized the investigations would continue regardless of how the leadership race played out.

“There's nothing about the absence of a speaker that prevents committees from doing their work,” Bishop said. “I don't think these kinds of proceedings end up being delays that are material. I don’t think that’s an issue, personally.”