GOP’s Buck mocks Greene for shift on impeachment inquiry timeline

Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) mocked Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) apparent shift on a timeline for an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, calling it “absurd.” 

“The idea that she is now the expert on impeachment or that she is someone who should set the timing on impeachment is absurd,” Buck said Sunday on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki.”

“The time for impeachment is the time when there’s evidence linking President Biden — if there’s evidence linking President Biden — to a high crime or misdemeanor. That doesn’t exist right now.” 

“And it is really something that we can say, well, in February, we’re going to do this. It’s based on the facts, you go where the facts take you,” he continued. 

Buck, a member of the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus, was responding to a Greene post on social media in which she said an impeachment inquiry should be “tedious” and that it should not be rushed.

That signaled a shift for Greene, who earlier this month said she would vote against any funding measures needed to keep the government open past Sept. 30 unless the House decided to open an impeachment inquiry into the president. 

When asked about Greene’s post, Buck noted that Greene filed articles of impeachment against Biden just one day after he was sworn into office.  

Greene responded to Buck’s comments later Sunday, writing on X, “When is Ken Buck going to announce he’s a Democrat? The amount of shilling for Joe Biden is astounding. Almost like he’s hoping Joe is going to appoint him for something.”

Republicans have been divided over impeaching Biden, with some lawmakers clamoring for it and others saying the conference has bigger things to focus upon.

House Republicans in recent months have embarked on a widespread investigation into Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, looking into his time on the board of a Ukrainian energy company while his father was vice president. 

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has signaled in recent weeks that these investigations could rise to the level of an impeachment inquiry into the president. 

Buck said at this point, he does not believe there is a “strong connection” of evidence that ties Hunter Biden to his father, adding he is “more focused” on the issues he believes American care deeply about. 

Between a possible impeachment inquiry and the looming threat of a government shutdown, Buck said a “perfect storm” is brewing in the House. 

“On the one hand, we’ve got to pass a continuing resolution. We also have the impeachment issue. And we also have members of the House, led by my good friend, [Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas)], who are concerned about policy issues,” Buck said. 

Roy has been focused on winning spending cuts as part of a government funding bill.

With government funding set to run out Sept. 30, House lawmakers have around three weeks to come to an agreement over appropriations levels as conservatives push to cut spending. 

Leaders of both parties have said a short-term solution known as a continuing resolution is going to be necessary to keep the government open past the end of the fiscal year Sept. 30.