(Headline USA) Senate Republicans shot down the possibility of an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden this week after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., floated it as a next step.
McCarthy said on Monday that House Republicans’ investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings “is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry.” The Republican leader later clarified that an inquiry did not guarantee an actual impeachment resolution, but would give congressional Republicans the tools to get answers on what President Joe Biden knew about his son Hunter Biden’s influence peddling.
“How do you get to the bottom of the truth? The only way Congress can do that is go to an impeachment inquiry,” he said. “As more of this continues to unravel, it rises to the level of an impeachment inquiry.”
However, several Senate Republicans hesitated when asked whether they’d support such an effort.
“It’s not on the radar screen over here,” said Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D. “You’d have to have the argument. It’s a high threshold. I assume they’d have to have the evidence and some process where they, at least, get that evidence.”
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, expressed a similar sentiment and referred to Democrats’ frequent impeachment efforts against former President Donald Trump.
“It’s getting to be a habit around here, isn’t it? Once you start, it’s unfortunate, but what goes around, comes around,” he continued. “Obviously, the stuff that the House is revealing about the Biden family business is very disturbing, but obviously, the Senate doesn’t have any role.”
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said he “certainly hopes” he doesn’t have to deal with another impeachment trial.
“The bar [for impeachment] is high crimes and misdemeanors, and that hasn’t been alleged at this stage, but we’ll see what develops. I certainly hope that’s not going to confront us again,” he said.
