Democrats mock Biden impeachment inquiry hearing, GOP chair struggles to keep control

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, the committee's ranking member, didn't mince words as he tore into Republicans for moving ahead with an impeachment inquiry when Congress is barreling toward a government shutdown.

"We're 62 hours away from shutting down the government of the United States of America and Republicans are launching an impeachment drive based on a long debunked and discredited lie," Raskin said.

"No foreign enemy's ever been able to shut down the government United States but now MAGA Republicans are about to do just that. But they don't want to cut off public services to the people and deny paychecks to more than a million service members without first launching the impeachment drive, even when they don't have a shred of evidence against President Biden for an impeachable offense."

Raskin went on to point to poster boards filled with recent quotes from Republicans on the spending showdown, including comments like "clown show" and "new low."

Raskin also criticized Republicans for launching an impeachment inquiry without a full House vote, and said they sit "empty handed."

As staffers displayed a poster with former President Donald Trump's posts on his social media platform calling for a government shutdown and Biden's impeachment behind him, Raskin slammed Republicans actions.

"We've moved from a Trump-ordered Republican shutdown to a Trump-ordered impeachment hearing. Back in the reality-based world, the majority sits completely empty handed with no evidence of any presidential wrongdoing, no smoking gun, no gun, no smoke," Raskin said. "If the Republicans had a smoking gun or even a dripping water pistol, they would be presenting it today. But they've got nothing," he said.

Comer, in his opening statement, said President Biden lied when he said he never spoke with his family about their business dealings and continued to claim, without direct evidence, that Biden was improperly influenced by his family's business affairs.

"At least 10 times Joe Biden lied to the American people that he never spoke to his family about their business dealings," Comer said. "He lied by telling the American people that there was an absolute wall between his official government duties and his personal life."

Biden has previously unequivocally claimed he "never discussed" business with his son but Republicans have pointed to testimony from Hunter Biden's former business partner Devon Archer, who testified that Joe Biden attended at least two dinners with Hunter Biden's foreign business associates, and frequently spoke with his son over the phone while in the presence of foreign business associates.

But Archer also testified he never heard business being discussed during those interactions. "The conversation is generally about the weather and what it's like in Norway or Paris or wherever he may be. … But it was very casual conversations, not about cap tables or financials or anything like that," Archer testified.

"The American people demand accountability for this culture of corruption," Comer continued in his opening statement. "They demand to know how these schemes have compromised President Biden and threaten our national security. They demand safeguards to be put in place to prevent public officials from selling access to their public office for private gain."

Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., will claim in his opening remarks that the committee has "uncovered a mountain of evidence revealing how Joe Biden abused his public office for his family’s financial gain."

But Republicans, to date, have yet to produce any hard direct evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden or that he was involved in or personally profited from his family's foreign business dealings, or that he improperly influenced policy based on them when he served as vice president.

Comer will also say the panel will examine over "two dozen pieces of evidence" including emails, text messages, bank records and testimony of Biden business associates during today's hearing.

Read more about the various allegations levied by House Republicans here.

Americans are divided on the GOP-led impeachment inquiry into Biden, a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll found.

Overall, 44% of Americans said that based on what they know, Congress should begin impeachment proceedings that could lead to Biden being removed from office while 47% said it should not.

Partisan views were apparent in the poll, with 74% of Republicans favoring impeachment proceedings and 83% of Democrats opposing them. Independents were split 46-45%.

Americans by 58-32% said the inquiry reflects Biden is being held accountable under the law like any president, rather than being unfairly victimized politically.