Progressive group presses Republicans to drop Biden impeachment inquiry

A Democratic-aligned outside group is pressing House Republicans to dismiss their impeachment inquiry into President Biden, with a new ad that will target House GOP members seeking reelection in swing districts.

The Congressional Integrity Project (CIP), which launched in 2020, also calls out the Republican conference for impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the basis of “zero evidence,” rejecting the Senate-passed border deal and “ignoring” former President Trump’s “crimes.” 

“MAGA House Republicans continue to find new low after new low,” the narrator says in the ad. “They’ve impeached the secretary of Homeland Security in a partisan political process that was based on zero evidence. None. They continue to try and impeach President Biden on outright lies from convicted felons and Russian assets.”  

The ad follows the arrest earlier this month of informant Alexander Smirnov on charges of lying to the FBI. Smirnov’s claims about the Biden family were central to the House Republican probe into the president.

The 49-second ad goes after the House GOP for not passing a bipartisan deal that included aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan along with border security provisions that took months to negotiate. 

“Meanwhile, they rejected a bipartisan border deal that would have addressed the crisis and continue to push our government to the brink of another shutdown,” the ad says.  

“And they continue to ignore the alleged crimes of the twice-impeached, four-time-indicted former President Donald Trump. Why are they doing this? All so they can hurt President Biden and return Donald Trump to power in 2024?”  

The ad is part of an ongoing seven-figure campaign targeting vulnerable House Republicans, the group confirmed to The Hill. It will run for two weeks. 

The ad will appear in D.C. markets and in districts held by 17 House Republicans who are in swing districts. The lawmakers targeted will be Reps Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.), John Duarte (R-Calif.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Mike Garcia (R-Calif.), Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.), Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), Young Kim (R-Calif.), Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Michelle Steel (R-Calif.), David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.).

The group also deployed a mobile billboard truck showcasing parts of the 49-second ad, which circled the House office building where Hunter Biden was testifying Wednesday morning. It features news headlines detailing the bumps in the road House Republicans have faced during their probe into Biden and his family.