WASHINGTON — Representative Tim Burchett (R - TN) is expected to be a part of an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced on Sept. 12 that he directed the House to open an impeachment inquiry into Biden over his family's business dealings.
Burchett is a member of the House Oversight Committee, which will hold its first hearings next week. He said McCarthy had asked him to be a part of the House committee. Burchett said he believes there is evidence that Biden made an impeachable offense, but also said he doesn't think the president would be removed from office.
He said the announcement comes as lawmakers face a shutdown at the end month, which could go into effect if legislation isn't passed avoiding it.
"If it were today, the vote for impeachment, I don't know if the votes would be there. It just kind of depends on things. Because other things are going on. The, you know, with the looming shutdown and all that other stuff," Burchett said.
Acting on his own, the Republican speaker McCarthy faces mounting pressure from his right flank to take action against Biden or risk being ousted from his leadership job. He is launching the inquiry without a House vote, and it's unclear if he would even have enough support from his slim GOP majority. Some lawmakers have panned the evidence so far as not reaching the Constitution's bar of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Burchett said he hopes the committee subpoenas Hunter Biden and brings him in to testify about Biden's business dealings.
"I think it's serious and I think we need to get to the bottom of it," said Burchett. "I just don't think it's, we're not going to kick him out of office. But I think we need to go through the process."
The White House and others pointed to McCarthy’s past statements when he insisted a speaker acting unilaterally to launch an impeachment inquiry would have no legitimacy. McCarthy “flipflopped because he doesn’t have support,” spokesman Ian Sams said.
An inquiry is a step toward impeachment, which used to be rare, and McCarthy essentially outlined the potential charges ahead. With Donald Trump now the Republican front-runner to challenge Biden in next year’s election, GOP allies are working to detract attention from the indicted former president's legal challenges and turn a negative spotlight on Biden.
The inquiry will be led by Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, in coordination with Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith.
"I just think that we're going to drag this thing out. It'll be like the January 6 commission, except we won't have, we don't have TV executives producing it, we won't have walk-in music and, you know, it won't get primetime coverage," said Burchett.