House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-California, that he directed three House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into Biden and allegations that he benefited from his son鈥檚 business dealings. Oregon Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz serves on the Judiciary Committee, one of the three committees involved in the inquiry.
Bentz told the Capital Chronicle he doesn鈥檛 yet know much about the inquiry and what his role will be, but that he expects it could take several months based on his experience with the first impeachment inquiry into former President Donald Trump. He expects to learn more after meetings with other Republicans over the next few days, and he said he expects the investigation to happen in the background while Congress focuses on passing a short-term spending bill. It has until Sept. 30 to approve a continuing resolution or the government shuts down.
鈥淚 trust Kevin McCarthy, and if he鈥檚 saying that this is the next step, then I鈥檓 gonna be with him on it,鈥� Bentz said. 鈥淚 had already heard enough that as a lawyer, I thought, 鈥榃ow, that鈥檚 really odd,鈥� about some of the things that the Biden family had been doing.鈥�
Bentz said he didn鈥檛 know of any link between 鈥渙dd鈥� behavior from members of the Biden family and Biden himself as president, but said he hasn鈥檛 been briefed since July.
Meanwhile, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon, described the impeachment inquiry as a 鈥渕omentous step.鈥� A spokesman for Chavez-DeRemer didn鈥檛 answer specific questions about whether Chavez-DeRemer supports the inquiry and whether there should be any limits on the inquiry鈥檚 scope, instead sharing a four-sentence statement.
鈥淎n impeachment inquiry is just what it sounds like 鈥� a search for facts and the truth regarding serious allegations against President Biden,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淭his is a momentous step, and it should be treated solemnly and without political maneuvering or grandstanding. Like all Americans, I want the truth to come out through a fair, dignified, and just process. While this plays out, I remain focused on keeping the federal government open and functioning, so that there are no disruptions to services for Oregonians.鈥�
Bentz represents a safely Republican district in eastern Oregon, while Chavez-DeRemer鈥檚 5th Congressional District is more competitive. She won by 2 percentage points last year and Biden won the district in 2020. The Congressional Integrity Project, a Democratic group, on Tuesday announced a digital ad campaign targeting Chavez-DeRemer and 17 other Republicans in districts Biden won over the impeachment inquiry.
Democratic members of Oregon鈥檚 congressional delegation criticized McCarthy鈥檚 decision, with Rep. Suzanne Bonamici noting on social media that an impasse over spending risks a government shutdown at the end of the month. About three dozen Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus have demanded spending cuts beyond what Biden, McCarthy and Senate leaders have agreed on to keep the government running.
鈥淭he extremist House Republicans are putting the government at risk of a shutdown at the end of the month,鈥� Bonamici said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 absurd that Speaker McCarthy is using limited time and resources to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden instead of engaging in meaningful funding negotiations.鈥�
Rep. Earl Blumenauer described the impeachment inquiry as a 鈥渁 pathetic effort to change the subject on Capitol Hill.鈥�
鈥淭he fact is that the Republicans can鈥檛 even agree with each other on things that really matter like funding our government,鈥� Blumenauer continued. 鈥淭he last time the Republicans tried this, it didn鈥檛 just fail but it was a disaster for them at the ballot box. We can only hope that this effort meets the same fate.鈥�
Rep. Val Hoyle also described the inquiry as 鈥減athetic鈥� in a statement.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a pathetic political stunt to distract from the fact that Congressional Republicans may shut down the government at the end of the month,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to know what Kevin McCarthy is doing to ensure Social Security recipients will receive a check, veterans will have access to health care, and hundreds of thousands of federal employees won鈥檛 be furloughed.鈥�
And Rep. Andrea Salinas described it as 鈥減artisan politics at its worst鈥� in a social media post.
鈥淭his wasteful, baseless exercise is a distraction that will hamper our ability to work on the issues that really matter to working Oregonians,鈥� Salinas added.
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