(NewsNation) — After the House formalized an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, Sen. Ron Johnson and Rep. Dave Joyce assert the pursuit of truth, stating the American people deserve to understand the extent of potential corruption within the Biden administration.
“I think pursuing the truth, exposing it is what the American people deserve. So I think the House is acting very responsibly here,” Johnson said Wednesday in an “On Balance” interview.
Joyce, who initially expressed reservations about the inquiry, also emphasized the importance of a formal process allowing for a thorough investigation into the allegations in an interview on “Dan Abrams Live.”
Democrats maintain that the impeachment inquiry is a politically motivated attack on the president with no proof of evidence.
Johnson noted that the House’s recent vote was for an impeachment inquiry, not an impeachment itself, due to uncooperative witnesses requiring legal intervention.
Some Republicans argue that a formal inquiry will grant them more power to enforce subpoenas and obtain crucial information for the investigation.
Johnson, along with Sen. Chuck Grassley, detail concerns of Biden’s alleged conflicts of interest and financial dealings, suggesting a potential compromise of national security. The senators accuse Biden’s family of receiving tens of millions of dollars from countries adversarial to the United States, questioning the legitimacy of these financial transactions.
Hunter Biden, who is facing multiple indictments on tax-related charges and charges related to illegal possession of a firearm, has been at the center of the investigations.
During a committee meeting on Tuesday, Republicans emphasized Hunter Biden’s refusal to testify in a closed-door deposition, as demanded by the House Oversight Committee. Hunter Biden confirmed on Wednesday morning that he would testify before Congress but insisted on doing so in a public setting, refusing to comply with the closed-door questioning demanded by Republicans.
Hunter Biden, who has been subpoenaed in connection with the inquiry, held a press conference outside Congress to address the allegations. In response to claims that his father was financially involved in his business, Hunter asserted, “There is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen.” He also acknowledged his past financial irresponsibility during his addiction but dismissed it as grounds for an impeachment inquiry.
Bill O’Reilly, in an interview on “CUOMO,” contends that Hunter Biden’s failure to respond to the subpoena could put him in legal jeopardy, similar to Steve Bannon’s situation.
“When you have 10s of billions of dollars floating around and nobody knows what services were provided, you have to investigate it,” O’Reilly said.
Former Republican congressman and White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney in an interview on “Dan Abrams Live” describes Hunter Biden’s decision to defy a House subpoena as “one of the gutsiest things” he has witnessed in a long time, emphasizing the shift from a legal battle to a political and public relations battleground.
He speculated that Hunter Biden’s team, now handling both legal and PR aspects, aims to win the messaging war amid the political turmoil.
The decision to move forward with the impeachment inquiry stems from a volley of information exchanged between House Republicans and the White House. According to Joyce, the White House counsel indicated that the documents would only be turned over if the inquiry was formalized.
“That was a letter that was sent back necessarily by the Biden, but White House counsel that this had not been formalized. And that’s one of the things that swayed me,” Joyce said.
When pressed on the possibility of Democratic senators supporting conviction if evidence of wrongdoing emerges, Johnson acknowledges that party loyalty would likely prevail unless Joe Biden’s reelection prospects were threatened. He defends the impeachment inquiry as a responsible approach to exposing the truth and criticized the Biden family for not cooperating with subpoenas.
Joyce admits, “I haven’t seen any of that [evidence] today. But I’m looking forward to the Investigative Committee.” He calls for transparency in the investigative process, urging the committees to either present evidence or conclude the inquiry.
“Instead of doing anything to help make Americans’ lives better, they are focused on attacking me with lies,” Mr. Biden said of Republicans in a statement not long after. “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.”
In the broader context, Joyce highlights concerns about the potential misuse of the impeachment process, stating, “Impeachment is abused. The process has been abused. It’s meant to take out mentally deficient folks or those who have committed crimes while in office.” He emphasizes the importance of establishing facts before making decisions on impeachment.
In response to concerns about the impeachment process being a political exercise, Johnson argues that oversight and investigations into potential corruption were essential constitutional responsibilities. He raises questions about Biden’s decisions, citing the cancellation of the China initiative and suggesting that the president might be compromised by foreign entities.
NewsNation’s Stephanie Whiteside contributed to this report.