White House officials caution that their decisions about cooperation will ultimately hinge on the nature of the investigations, but their preparations, which have been underway for months, hinge on such a split strategy. The White House is likely to respond to requests for documents and testimony relating to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, for example, but far less likely to engage with Republicans’ investigations into Hunter Biden, the president’s son, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.
Republicans, who won the House majority in the midterm elections, have signaled an aggressive oversight campaign despite capturing fewer seats than either party expected. They have made it clear that among their top investigative targets, in addition to Afghanistan, will be the origins of the coronavirus pandemic and other China-related issues, the disbursement of pandemic relief funds, border security and Biden’s energy policies.
But the likely flash point will be their determination to investigate Hunter Biden, whom they accuse of financial wrongdoing and trading on the family name. The president, who has lost two other children, is highly protective of his son, who has a long history of drug use and other difficulties.
On Tuesday, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, (R-Calif.), the leading candidate to become speaker of the House, called for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to resign, saying that if he does not, Republicans “will investigate every order, every action and every failure to determine whether we can begin impeachment inquiries.”
It is unclear what impeachment charges GOP lawmakers could bring against Mayorkas, and the Democratic-led Senate would be unlikely to pursue them in any case. But conservative activists have pushed for such action, saying the administration has failed in its duty to protect the American border.
Last week, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who is in line to chair the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), who is expected to head the Oversight Committee, held a news conference laying out their plans to investigate Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Apparently seeking to preempt White House arguments that Hunter Biden is a private citizen, Comer stressed that the GOP’s target is any involvement by President Biden himself.
“The president’s participation in enriching his family is, in a word, abuse of the highest order,” Comer said. “I want to be clear: This is an investigation of Joe Biden, and that’s where our focus will be next Congress.” When reporters asked about another issue, Comer said, “If we could keep it about Hunter Biden … This is kind of a big deal, we think. If we could keep it about Hunter Biden, that would be great.”
Former president Donald Trump and other Republicans have long focused on the president’s son, especially what appear to be records from his personal laptop, as a symbol of what they claim is nefarious activity by the Biden family. No evidence has emerged that the president was improperly involved in his son’s activities.
The prospect of a White House choosing which elements of congressional oversight it will respect strikes some experts as questionable. Stanley Brand, who served as general counsel to the House of Representatives under…
Read More: White House to honor some House GOP probes but not others
