House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) directed several committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden amid pressure from some Republicans — and reservations from others. Since Republicans gained the House majority earlier this year, committees have been investigating the Biden family’s foreign business dealings and the handling of his son’s prosecution.
Some have argued there’s not enough evidence of wrongdoing to launch an impeachment inquiry. McCarthy said Tuesday, “These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives.”
McCarthy didn’t say if there’d be a House vote on whether to launch the inquiry, though he previously said he would hold such a vote. The Hill’s Emily Brooks and Mychael Schnell note opposition from a few GOP representatives here; that would complicate the vote math.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who’s threatened to force a vote on recalling the Speaker if McCarthy impeded an impeachment effort, called McCarthy’s announcement a “baby step” and reiterated the threat to force a vote on ousting him as Speaker if he doesn’t meet several other demands. Read more on those.
The Hill’s Al Weaver reads the temperature in the Senate here. The White House has denied any wrongdoing and criticized the impeachment effort.
More from The Hill: Biden spox: McCarthy turning House into Trump’s campaign arm over impeachment inquiry |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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Apple announced Tuesday that the iPhone 15 will use the more universally accepted USB-C port instead of the company’s proprietary Lightning cable.
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Libyan authorities said more than 2,000 people died and 10,000 were reported missing after flooding in the eastern part of the country. A state-run news agency later reported more than 5,300 people died
First lady Jill Biden is hosting the 2023 Praemium Imperiale laureates at the White House this evening with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
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© Madeline Monroe/Greg Nash/Associated Press-Jeff Chiu |
Google antitrust trial underway
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The 10-week trial in the Justice Department‘s antitrust case against Google kicked off today. “It is the first major antitrust lawsuit against a major tech company since the U.S. sued Microsoft in the late-’90s,” The Hill’s Rebecca Klar wrote.
The government, along with several state attorneys general, allege Google illegally monopolizes the search market through exclusive agreements that preinstall its application on devices. Google argues its product is more popular than others because it’s better. See Klar’s 5 key questions in the Google antitrust trial. |
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NM governor defends temporary gun ban
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New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) defended her emergency order banning open and concealed carry of firearms in part of the state for 30 days amid bipartisan criticism. “Fewer guns on the streets makes everyone safer,” Lujan Grisham said. “I’m focused on everyone’s constitutional rights, not just those the NRA says I should be focused on.”
The order bans carrying in public places, including government buildings, in areas meeting a specific violent crime threshold — which currently limits the ban to Albuquerque. Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, a Democrat, said he won’t enforce the ban, calling it unconstitutional.
More from The Hill: New Mexico governor temporarily bans guns: What you need to know |
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Second lawsuit filed to keep Trump off ballot
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The group Free Speech for People filed a 14th Amendment challenge to former President Trump‘s 2024 candidacy in Minnesota. This follows a similar lawsuit filed by a watchdog group in Colorado last week. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment says nobody who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States” can hold elected office. The groups, along with some legal scholars and lawmakers, argue Trump’s actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack disqualify him from the ballot.
MEANWHILE… A group of state legislators in New Hampshire sent a letter to Secretary of State David Scanlan (R) asking him to reject any efforts to keep Trump off the Granite State ballot, calling the 14th Amendment argument “an absurd conspiracy theory.”
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Meet the Freedom Caucus’s executive director
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Inside the Senate’s book ban hearing
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The Senate Judiciary Committee‘s book ban hearing featured Republican senators reading sexual content from books to argue they shouldn’t be available in schools, while Democrats expressed concerns that most of the targeted books feature Black and LGBTQ characters.
The Hill’s Lexi Lonas has more on the hearing here. |
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Iranian president discusses $6 billion unfrozen funds
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The Biden administration has said the $6 billion in unfrozen funds to Iran, agreed upon in exchange for five American prisoners, would be restricted to humanitarian use. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told Lester Holt, “This money belongs to the Iranian people, the Iranian government, so the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide what to do with this money.” Read more here, and catch the interview on “NBC Nightly News” at 6:30 p.m. ET. |
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“An unserious shutdown fight looms, with serious consequences for everyone” — Boyd Matheson is host of Inside Sources on KSL News Radio and Sunday Edition on KSL-TV in Salt Lake City. (Read here)
“We should not be surprised by the next government shutdown” — Kevin R. Kosar, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and host of the Understanding Congress podcast. (Read here) |
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15 days until the next GOP presidential primary debate. |
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President Biden convenes a meeting of his Cancer Cabinet. 10:30 a.m.: The Bayh-Dole Coalition presents its American Innovator Award to five innovators in science and medicine at the Hart Senate Office Building.
9 p.m.: NewsNation hosts a town hall with former Vice President Mike Pence. Nexstar Media Group owns both NewsNation and The Hill. |
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