A rising number of senior House Republicans are grappling with the reality that their prolonged investigation into President Joe Biden may not result in impeachment. The official decision on pursuing impeachment articles is not expected until after high-profile depositions with Hunter Biden and the president’s brother, James, later this month. However, skepticism is mounting within the GOP about their ability to rally their slim majority behind the politically risky impeachment effort during an election year.
Despite no formal whip count, an estimated 20 House Republicans remain unconvinced of the evidence for impeachment. Even staunch conservatives like GOP Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, a member of the House Oversight Committee and a supporter of impeachment, admit that the investigation has struggled to gain traction.
With a Biden impeachment unlikely to pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate and the 2024 presidential election looming, some suggest that the decision should be left to the voters. GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York expressed this sentiment, stating, “Let the American people decide in November if they want to take this country in a different direction.”
The possibility of their investigation not leading to impeachment has sparked frustration and finger-pointing within the GOP. Some of the criticism has been directed at House Oversight Chairman James Comer, who has led the investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings. One GOP source closely following the investigation described it as a “jumbled mess.”
When the impeachment inquiry was launched four months ago under former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the GOP was motivated to investigate accusations that the president was involved in a family influence peddling scheme through his son’s foreign business dealings. However, Republicans have struggled to present a clear, tangible case that constitutes an impeachable offense.
Attention within the GOP conference has now shifted towards impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the southern border. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, who is co-leading the investigation, acknowledged that a Biden impeachment is not a certainty.
Despite the uncertainty, GOP committee chairmen remain determined to make their case. This week, Jordan, Comer, and Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, a Republican from Missouri, presented an update to the conservative Republican Study Committee on their probe.
Republicans have faced difficulty in rallying the full support of the conference behind their impeachment inquiry into Biden. A number of lawmakers have stated that this is due to a lack of evidence or are waiting for the investigation to conclude before making a final decision.
As the future of the probe remains uncertain, Republicans are unclear about their next move after Hunter Biden’s closed-door interview on February 28. While it is possible that the president’s son’s testimony changes the dynamics of the investigation, the blame game of what went wrong up until this point is already heating up.
Despite the challenges, a senior GOP impeachment inquiry aide defended Comer’s handling of the president’s son subpoena, stating that they ultimately got what they wanted with an agreement on a closed-door deposition. The aide also stated that Comer receives almost daily requests from members to go to their districts and speak about his committee’s work, and receives positive feedback when he updates the conference on the investigation.
However, there have been differences of opinion on what the committees should focus on and confusion for members trying to follow their work. GOP Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, referred to the many committees involved, stating, “It’s becoming much more difficult.”
Contributor: Haley Talbot, CNN