Force Members to Weigh the Evidence

President Joe Biden meets with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Wednesday, February 1, 2023, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Quid Pro Quo

There is more than the smells from decaying summer foliage in the autumn air. President Joe Biden’s role in Hunter’s influence peddling seems to be taking over September’s sad remembrances. William McGurn, in the WSJ, asks what happens next? An impeachment inquiry or a Hunter Biden indictment from a grand jury impaneled by special counsel David Weiss?

… a politicized Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation have squandered the public’s trust. The elevation of Mr. Weiss to special counsel has persuaded many that the fix is in, given Justice guidelines that say a special counsel should come from the outside. Mr. Weiss’s appointment further gives President Biden the “ongoing investigation” excuse for not answering questions, which could bury the issue.

But the ultimate question surrounding Hunter’s overseas millions from places such as China and Ukraine—and whether his father was the quo for the quid his son received—is political. More important than seeing anyone packed off to prison is learning whether Joe Biden, as vice president, willfully enabled his son’s schemes and twisted U.S. policy in the process.

Even if Joe Biden has committed no crime or received a nickel from his son’s businesses, Joe Biden’s cooperation in Hunter’s selling of the Biden brand was corrupt, continues Mr. McGurn:

Ditto for President Biden’s Justice Department, which repeatedly sabotaged the federal investigation into Hunter.

With three House committees already investigating, an impeachment inquiry might appear superfluous. But there are practical advantages. To name one, it would enhance the power of House subpoenas. Congressional oversight must be tethered to a legislative purpose, and that includes the subpoenas for information such as the tax and bank records House investigators are asking for.

McCarthy Promises a Full House Vote

The risk to McCarthy is that he won’t get the votes. If McCarthy doesn’t get the votes, it could cost him politically.

Probably many members on each side secretly prefer that Mr. McCarthy just declare an impeachment inquiry as Mrs. Pelosi did and spare them the choice. But forcing members to weigh the evidence and the risks, and then go on the record, is vital for accountability.

Fifty years ago at press conference in Orlando, Fla., Richard Nixon told a television audience the American people have to know whether or not their president is a crook. In Mr. Biden’s case, they also deserve to know whether the Justice Department has been compromised. By month’s end, Republicans will decide whether an impeachment inquiry is the only way they’ll get these answers.