Freedom Caucus member slams GOP for making impeachment the next 'shiny object'

A member of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus on Tuesday slammed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, suggesting the California Republican is using talk of an impeachment inquiry against President Biden as a distraction from issues that really impact constituents.

Ken Buck (R-Colo.), during an appearance on CNN’s “Inside Politics,” was responding to a question from host Dana Bash about McCarthy’s public statements in recent days in which he floats the idea of launching an impeachment inquiry into the president over unsubstantiated allegations of financial misconduct.

Buck, himself a former federal prosecutor, said it was appropriate for Congress to look into the matter, but told Bash that he was concerned that his House GOP colleagues were playing political “games” with the notion of such an inquiry that he said is irresponsible.

“It's absolutely Congress's role to look at possible impeachment, but I also think that if that is just a political game, then we need to make sure that the criminal case goes forward,” Buck said.

Bash pushed Buck to address the impeachment inquiry specifically, asking if he believes “it could be a political game, and why do you believe that Speaker McCarthy in the last 24 to 36 hours has begun to lean more into the notion of opening an impeachment inquiry?”

“This is impeachment theater,” Buck said. “We right now are starting the appropriations process, and there is not consensus on the Republican side about what the numbers should be. Kevin McCarthy promised when he was running for speaker, one set of numbers and then he made an agreement with President Biden for the debt ceiling increase another set of numbers."

“So right now he's got to convince the public that he's credible, and that Republicans have a duty to follow him. The party itself is not in agreement, and we're gonna have some real trouble passing appropriations bills.”

Asked Bash: “I just want to make sure I understand what you're saying. It sounds like you're saying that the speaker is talking about impeachment to try to distract conservatives like you from spending bills that you don't like.”

“Well not just me, but the public,” Buck said. “What he's doing is he's saying there's a shiny object over here and we're really going to focus on that. We just need to get all these things done so that we can focus on the shiny object. Most of us are concerned about spending it is an existential threat to this country. And so we want to move forward with the spending bills in a responsible way.”

Bash asked Buck if he believes that “there is any reason why the House Republican majority should open an inquiry right now other than politics?”

“I don't think it's responsible for us to talk about impeachment,” Buck said.

“When you start raising the ‘I’ word it sends a message to the public and it sets expectations. I do think that what's going on in the Oversight Committee and the Judiciary Committee is absolutely fair and is part of our responsibility.”

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