Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said House Republicans are closing in on a “point of decision” in their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
During a Thursday press conference, Speaker Johnson said he wouldn’t “predetermine” the outcome of the House’s impeachment inquiry.
Johnson cited his background as a constitutional law attorney and referred to Biden’s alleged crimes as a “very serious matter.” The Speaker also said he was called on to oversee the impeachment of former President Donald Trump twice, which Johnson suggested was used for “raw, partisan political purposes.”
“I decried that at each step of the way,” he added. “Because the impeachment power that we have in the constitution, in the House specifically, next to a declaration of war, you could argue it’s the … heaviest power we have, and it cannot be wielded for political purposes.”
Johnson insisted the House should follow due process and the law in their impeachment inquiry.
“That means doing appropriate investigations in the right way, at the right pace, so that the evidence comes in and we follow the evidence where it leads,” he said. “We follow the truth where it leads.”
“As we stand here today, I’m not predetermined that, but I do believe that very soon we are coming to a point of decision on it,” Johnson added.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), when asked if there's enough evidence for the House to draft articles of impeachment against President Biden:
“As we stand here today, I'm not predetermined that, but I do believe that very soon we are coming to a point of decision on it.” pic.twitter.com/LZSvatxBA1
— The Recount (@therecount) November 2, 2023
“We’re in the impeachment inquiry phase,” he said. “What you’re seeing right now … is a deliberate constitutional process that was envisioned by the founders [and] the framers of the Constitution.”
Johnson praised House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan for their investigation into Biden.
Johnson secured Speakership last week with a unanimous 220 votes from House Republicans after nearly a month of infighting within the Conference after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from the seat in early October.
The newly elected Speaker also said the House would vote on an aid package for Israel sometime today during a Tuesday appearance on Fox News.
Host Kayleigh McEnany asked if he knew how many House Democrats would join in support of the bill.
“I hope that it’s most or all of them,” Johnson answered. “I mean, there’s a few people who have philosophical differences on that and we’ll have some intense debates about their opposition to that. But, look, this is a matter of good versus evil.”
Johnson said his intention for the Israel aid package is to allocate funds set aside by the Biden administration for expanding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and instead using those funds for the Israel aid package.
“I understand their priority is to bulk up the IRS,” he continued. “But I think if you put this to the American people and they weigh the two needs — I think they’re going to say standing with Israel and protecting the innocent over there is in our national interest.”
