Archives for September 15, 2023 at 8:56 am EDT

“Rep. James Comer, the leader of House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into President Biden, has repeatedly exaggerated and distorted the findings of his investigation into the Biden family this year,” Axios reports.

“Now, with the spotlight getting brighter, even some of Comer’s Republican colleagues and their aides are worried about him being the public face of the inquiry — and hope he’ll take a more measured approach.”

“How Comer handles the inquiry as chair of the House Oversight Committee could be critical to whether many Americans see the impeachment probe as credible or partisan — and could go a long way toward determining how it will affect the 2024 election.”

“I haven’t heard an accurate fact in conference in a long time. I’m not going to waste my time.”

— Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), to CNN, when asked if he changed his mind on the impeachment inquiry after House Republican conference meeting.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) denied she was vaping from her seat in a Denver theater before being escorted out, but surveillance footage shows she was lying.

The footage also shows Boebert pulling out her phone in the dark, either to take a selfie or record the show, and waving her arms in the air, seemingly dancing in her seat.

“I’m concerned for the speaker that he seems to be a little rattled and unhinged at a time when we need focus and strong effort. Whether or not McCarthy faces a motion to vacate is within his own hands.”

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), to CNN.

Punchbowl News: “When President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached a deal to raise the debt limit back in May, they also set a ‘topline number’ for all of the FY2024 spending bills. That would smooth the process of writing the 12 annual appropriations bills. There weren’t going to be any shutdowns or a massive omnibus bill written in secret by party leaders. It would be a return to the good ol’ days of regular order.”

“But instead, McCarthy has faced an ongoing backlash from the House Freedom Caucus that’s largely cost the GOP leadership control of the appropriations process during the last three months.”

Politico: “The government is barreling toward a shutdown. House Republicans threaten to impeach the president — though some of them don’t see the evidence. A Republican senator has a one-man blockade on military promotions with no end in sight.”

“The Capitol is in crisis. And though Democrats control much of the government, Republican divisions are driving the chaos.”

“Each of the Hill’s messes will reach a peak this fall, starting with a Sept. 30 shutdown deadline. Each on its own is a headache; the collection of problems lawmakers have to juggle at once is almost unthinkable.”