President Biden on Wednesday ripped House Republicans for formalizing an impeachment inquiry against him, bemoaning that GOP lawmakers are wasting time on a “baseless political stunt” rather than focusing on what matters to most Americans.
“I wake up every day focused on the issues facing the American people – real issues that impact their lives, and the strength and security of our country and the world. Unfortunately, House Republicans are not joining me,” Biden said in a lengthy statement issued minutes after the House voted along party lines to formalize the inquiry.
“Instead of doing anything to help make Americans’ lives better, they are focused on attacking me with lies,” Biden continued. “Instead of doing their job on the urgent work that needs to be done, they are choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt that even Republicans in Congress admit is not supported by facts.”
“The American people deserve better,” Biden added. “I know what I am going to remain focused on. I would invite Republicans in Congress to join me.”
Biden drew a sharp comparison between the actions of House Republicans and his own work in recent days. He cited his Tuesday meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to push for additional funding for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, his focus on Israel’s fight with Hamas and his work to address the economy and find a compromise on border policy.
“There is a lot of work to be done,” Biden said. “But after wasting weeks trying to find a new Speaker of the House and having to expel their own members, Republicans in Congress are leaving for a month without doing anything to address these pressing challenges.”
Lawmakers voted Wednesday 221-212 along party lines to approve the resolution authorizing the impeachment inquiry, a step Republicans hope will add legal weight to their demands as the probe moves into a more aggressive end stage.
Republicans have said they moved to formalize the inquiry in part because the White House responded to document requests last month with a letter that argued their inquiry was unconstitutional due to the lack of a vote, citing a Trump-era legal opinion.
The multi-pronged impeachment inquiry includes deep dives into the personal and business finances of Biden family members, as well as heaping scrutiny on a Justice Department probe into Hunter Biden’s failure to pay taxes.
But investigators have struggled to back the most salacious allegation, which was first pushed by former President Trump ahead of his own impeachment: that as vice president, Biden took actions in Ukraine with the intention of benefitting his son’s business.
Biden has repeatedly denied involvement in his son’s business dealings, and Hunter Biden on Wednesday reiterated in his own remarks outside the Capitol that his father was not financially involved in his business matters.