By David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House Republicans turned aside an attempt by hardline conservatives to force an impeachment vote against President Joe Biden on Thursday, in the first of what could prove to be a series of impeachment efforts by members of the far right.
The House of Representatives voted 219-208 along party lines to refer a privileged resolution offered by firebrand Representative Lauren Boebert to two congressional committees. Democrats had hoped to kill the measure outright.
Boebert alleged that Biden violated his oath by failing to enforce immigration laws and secure the U.S.-Mexico border against the synthetic opioid drug fentanyl.
Another hardliner, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, has announced plans for similar impeachment initiatives against Biden, two members of his Cabinet, FBI Director Christopher Wray and a U.S. attorney prosecuting participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Some Republicans are eager to impeach Biden as retribution after his predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, was twice impeached by the then-Democratic-controlled House, once over Ukraine and once for his actions ahead of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The impeachment effort is a new headache for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who is also facing pressure from roughly a dozen hardline Republicans who say they stand ready to block legislation as they seek greater influence over the lower chamber’s agenda.
With Republicans holding a narrow 222-212 House majority, as few as five hardliners can derail any bill that Democrats oppose unanimously.
Under House rules, privileged resolutions pursued by Boebert and Greene must come up for a vote within two legislative days.
Thursday’s vote referred Boebert’s resolution to the House Homeland Security and Judiciary committees.
Greene said she would craft resolutions against Biden, Wray, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves.
McCarthy opposes such initiatives on impeachment, saying he expects ongoing House committee investigations to produce evidence against Biden and members of his administration that can be used to build impeachment cases.
But Greene, who had previously introduced formal articles of impeachment against Biden and others, told reporters that privileged resolutions could be necessary because internal Republican divisions have prevented the House Judiciary Committee from acting on impeachment.
(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis)
