WASHINGTON — Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, on Thursday criticized House Republicans in a fiery rebuke during an impeachment hearing against President Joe Biden.
Republicans promised to “provide accountability” as they probe the family finances and lucrative business dealings of the president's son, Hunter.
Crockett, during the open hearing, chided lawmakers for what she called ignoring former President Donald Trump’s “shady business dealings with the Chinese government” and pursuing an impeachment inquiry as the federal government approaches a shutdown.
“Because when you’re talking about impeachment, you’re talking about high crimes or misdemeanors,” Crockett said. “And I can’t seem to find the crime, and honestly, no one has testified of what crime they believe the president of the United States has committed.”
Crockett then referenced the documents located in Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
“But we started talking about things that look like evidence. These are our national secrets – looks like in the (expletive) to me,” she said.
“I will tell you what the president has been guilty of. He has unfortunately been guilty of loving his son unconditionally, and that is the only evidence that they have brought forward. And honestly, I hope and pray that my parents love me half as much as he loves his child," Crockett continued.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, began the hearing by insisting the panel has “uncovered a mountain of evidence revealing how Joe Biden abused his public office for his family’s financial gain” and “lied to the American people about his knowledge of and participation in his family’s corrupt business schemes.”
Comer claimed Joe Biden, as vice president, “spoke, dined and developed relationships with his family’s foreign business targets.”
House Republicans have claimed Joe Biden has been directly involved in his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business affairs, but they have not yet produced any solid evidence proving the elder Biden profited from his son’s business deals or that Hunter Biden’s professional interests influenced his father’s actions as vice president in the Obama administration.
President Biden has repeatedly denied having any involvement in or knowledge about Hunter Biden’s business affairs, and the White House has accused GOP lawmakers of promoting conspiracy theories.
Congress, meanwhile, remains at an impasse as a federal government shutdown is likely in one day. It would halt paychecks for many of the federal government’s roughly 2 million employees, as well as 2 million active-duty military troops and reservists, furlough many of those workers and curtail government services.
“Until they find some evidence, we need to get back to the people’s work, which means keeping this government open so that people don’t go hungry in the streets of the United States,” Crockett said.
Spectrum News’ Ryan Chatelain and the Associated Press contributed to this report.