The Republican-led House of Representatives could still impeach President Biden.
But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., had to step in to stop a swift denunciation this week by Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.
“Privileged” resolutions are a special commodity in the House. They are only used in special circumstances related to the Constitution. This includes disciplining members or impeachment. These resolutions are at the forefront of the legislative line. The House must deal with such privileged matters almost immediately.
Boebert grew weary of what he thought House Republicans were arguing over President Biden’s possible denunciation of the southern border. That’s to say nothing of the questions many GOPers are asking about the president’s ethics, alleged or perceived crimes, and Hunter Biden’s jobs. But despite robust investigations into all of these issues by the House Oversight, Judiciary, and Travel and Media Committees, Boebert had had enough. She would go it alone and try to impeach Mr. Biden with her own privileged resolution.
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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had to stop an impeachment attempt against President Biden this week by Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert. (Getty Images)
“I was tired of politicians telling us something we wanted to hear at home, getting to where we send them and trusting them to be our voice and do something completely different. That’s not a talking point for me. That’s a action. article,” Boebert said in an interview.
Any member may present a privileged resolution. But they are usually the province of the minority party, as they do not control the floor. Still, Boebert and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida, recently deployed privileged resolutions to go around House leaders and force action on their pet initiatives.
Luna tried twice with a privileged resolution of censure against Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. The first measure failed. But the second one made it.
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This is ironic because Republicans have long touted a return to “normal order” in their quest to lead the House. In his bid to secure the presidency, McCarthy promised that he would not just deliver the bills from the top. He wanted the legislation to gurgle through subcommittees and committees before hitting the floor. Leaders would not drop legislation on lawmakers in the middle of the night.
An attempt to punish a lawmaker with censure, the second most serious form of official discipline in the House, usually goes through committee. Same with the articles of impeachment. The Ethics Committee would normally spend months investigating a member’s alleged wrongdoing before sending a censure summons to the plenary. Impeaching the president could consume months of closed-door depositions, public hearings and floor debate. That was the process for impeaching former President Trump in late 2019. However, the House was much quicker to impeach Trump a second time after the Capitol riot.
But there’s nothing that says a member can’t introduce a privileged resolution to censure a fellow legislator or even impeach the president without going through the extra machinations. If the House votes for censure or impeachment, you are censured or impeached. Mechanics are not necessary.
Even if this is the “normal order”. Or, the “normal order”
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“Maybe we’re redefining the normal order,” Luna said in an interview. “Maybe we’re redefining what the typical process would be and giving members more voice.”
Allowing his base to have a “voice” is key to McCarthy’s political success as president. He pledged to give MPs more of a voice in the legislative process. The president certainly agreed to censure his Golden State nemesis Schiff for his role in the Russia investigation. And while McCarthy is no fan of President Biden, he knows that impeachment of presidents has a huge political cost.
President Joe Biden recently trashed a reporter after he asked him about his alleged corruption with Ukraine and his son Hunter Biden. Biden called the question “dumb.” (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
As president, McCarthy must protect the integrity of the institution, the presidency, and the seriousness of impeachment. That’s to say nothing of protecting vulnerable Republicans in battleground districts who are suddenly eyeing impeachment.
Many congressional Republicans are hinting at impeachment to keep them in the good graces of conservative voters at home. But they know that impeachments are rare and may never have to vote on such a proposal, despite the strong rhetoric. So for Boebert talk was cheap.
That is why he avoided the usual process of the impeachment committee, depositing a privileged resolution on the ground without the typical volitions.
“Introducing this privileged motion to impeach Joe Biden absolutely forces members to put their money where their mouth is. If most Republicans (governed) like they (campaigned), we’d be a lot better off,” Boebert said.
But Boebert’s approach did not impress some of his GOP colleagues.
“We cannot turn impeachment into the equivalent of a vote of no confidence in the British Parliament,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn. “When we do that we’re going to cheapen what impeachment is. It’s supposed to be a tool of last resort. Not a first resort.”
Boebert did not appear at a meeting of all House Republicans Wednesday morning to introduce his impeachment resolution and garner support.
“I don’t think one minute of floor time in the (Republican) Conference is going to persuade anybody,” Boebert said. “I don’t think this is something that takes priority in my busy schedule.”
For the record, nearly every House Republican also attends these same meetings and somehow finds a way to fit these weekly conclaves into their schedules.
“I think in team sports you should work together. And this was an individual who was undermining the team,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said of Boebert. “Impeachment should not be something frivolous and treated in this way.”
McCarthy needed to thread the needle on Boebert’s resolution. But he, too, was unimpressed by the Colorado Republican’s game.
“You just don’t put something on the ground wantonly,” McCarthy said. “Follow the research wherever it takes you.”
McCarthy met with Boebert.
“I don’t think my actions are flippant,” Boebert said afterward. “I think they are very intentional.”
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But McCarthy would not let Boebert’s impeachment resolution go to the floor. Nor was it going to expose vulnerable Republicans to a scenario where they voted to introduce the resolution of impeachment and then were overruled by arch-conservatives in their districts. However, McCarthy also wanted to block Democrats from introducing the resolution.
So McCarthy drew up a special provision to handle Boebert’s impeachment resolution. The House would vote on a “rule” to send the impeachment measure to the Judiciary and National Security Committees. Then it is up to them how much these committees have investigated. But McCarthy’s plan made sure to keep Boebert’s resolve alive. And it simultaneously inoculated anti-impeachment Republican lawmakers so they couldn’t deal with criticism for rejecting Boebert’s effort.
Moreover, legislators like Fitzpatrick and Bacon also got their wishes. The committees could now continue to investigate the president, with the possibility of impeachment.
“The timeline of our investigation is pretty much in our heads,” said House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn. “We know the way.”
Boebert said he would like the House to impeach President Biden by the end of the year.
“If there’s ever any doubt that the articles won’t get to the floor, we’re going to make sure that happens,” Boebert said, noting that it would mark another privileged resolution.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, on a broadcast during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, USA, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“We have to be prepared to vote for any number of great ideas that come out of the House Republican Conference,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. “They’re trying to outdo MAGA and outdo each other.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., intends to impeach Mr. Biden, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Washington, DC, US Attorney Matthew Graves. But Wednesday afternoon. Greene and Boebert had a lively conversation on the House floor. Greene accused Boebert of stealing his impeachment idea. Greene was reported to have called Boebert “a little bitch.”
“They had an argument,” McCarthy said, trying to downplay the rhubarb between Greene and Boebert.
Yours truly pressed McCarthy on whether the confrontation was really a “discussion.”
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“I think it’s healthy for people to have arguments,” McCarthy responded.
When asked for his side of the story, Boebert simply walked away from a group of reporters gathered on the steps of the Capitol.
“Thank you all so much. Have a great day,” Boebert said.
Chad Pergram currently serves as Senior Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based in Washington, DC
