House Republicans are pushing to formalize their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, according to multiple senior GOP sources – a shift designed to strengthen their position against the White House and the president’s son, as the stakes for obtaining key documents and testimony reach a critical juncture.
Up until this point, House Republicans have not had the votes to legitimize their inquiry, which former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy unilaterally launched in September, with a formal House vote – a clear sign that the conference has remained divided over whether the evidence exists to impeach the president.
Republicans want to strengthen their subpoenas and standing in court as they stare down potential legal battles with the White House, which recently told Congress the inquiry lacks constitutional legitimacy without a formal vote, and Hunter Biden, who told Congress Tuesday he is willing to testify publicly in the House Oversight Committee’s inquiry into his actions instead of a private deposition. A source familiar with the strategy told CNN the president’s son does not plan on backing down.
On top of that, House Republican leadership is facing increasing pressure from its right wing, and the party’s base, to show forward momentum in their investigation.
Republicans will hold a key conference meeting on Friday to make their case and try to convince holdouts within their own party to get on board with an inquiry vote. While House Majority Whip Tom Emmer told Republicans on Wednesday the House may soon move forward with an inquiry vote, citing the White House’s recent letter, the understanding is Republicans would not move forward unless they had the votes to pass it, according to multiple lawmakers in the meeting.
“If we know we’re going to end up in court fighting, which I think everybody understands we are going to, we should…
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