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More congressional Republicans are expressing concerns over Representative Lauren Boebert's articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden.
Boebert introduced the articles on Tuesday, specifying that she is pursuing impeachment for Biden's alleged abuse of power and dereliction of duty at the U.S.-Mexico border and that she introduced the articles in a strategic way to require a House floor vote, which is set to occur Thursday.
However, Boebert's articles of impeachment against Biden turned heads even among her colleagues, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy urged GOP legislators to vote against the resolution. Many Senate Republicans adopted a similar view, agreeing with McCarthy that the articles weren't strong enough to warrant success.
Articles of impeachment against Biden and other leaders in his administration aren't new, with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene recently proposing impeachment against a slew of officials, including Biden. Republicans have long criticized Biden's approach to the border, as well as that of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, but McCarthy urged House Republicans to bide their time so they don't risk their recently won House majority.
Boebert's resolution even annoyed Greene, who called it a "copycat" of her own articles of impeachment against the president.
Newsweek reached out to Boebert's press office by email for comment.
GOP senators agreed that Boebert's accusations against Biden weren't strong enough to warrant impeachment.
Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said that despite the party being angry with Biden, Boebert's articles of impeachment were unlikely to succeed, especially with Democrats controlling the Senate, according to The Hill.
"I know people are angry. I'm angry at the Biden administration for their policies at the border and a whole host of other things, but I think we also need to look at what's achievable," Cornyn said. "And with a Democratic majority in the Senate, I don't think that's achievable."
Other Republican senators, like Todd Young of Indiana and Mitt Romney of Utah also weren't convinced that Boebert's impeachment effort was the right move.
"I've got a pretty high bar for impeachment," Young said, according to The Hill. "I fear that snap impeachments will become the norm, and they mustn't."
Young also didn't vote to impeach former President Donald Trump. Romney said the only time to impeach a president was if they committed a "high crime or misdemeanor," and the effort to impeach a president was a waste of time otherwise.
When urging House Republicans to vote against Boebert's proposal, McCarthy reminded them that House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is already investigating Biden in regard to bribery allegations, and if the investigation leads to articles of impeachment, then the House should vote to impeach.
However, Comer has never promised that impeachment is the likely outcome of the investigations.
"We've never said impeachment, yes or no," Comer said according to Punchbowl News. "If it leads to impeachment, it leads to impeachment."
Comer added that months remained in the investigation before a report could be expected.
"I don't think what happens [Thursday] will have any impact," Comer said about Boebert's resolution.
About the writer
Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more