In a recent development, the House of Representatives decided to refer Representative Lauren Boebert's (R-Colo.) impeachment resolution to a committee instead of holding a direct vote.
Boebert's original intention was to initiate the impeachment process against President Joe Biden, employing a special House procedure to force the vote. However, due to opposition within her own party, she settled for the committee referral as a consolation prize.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) explained the decision, stating, "We want to make sure the investigation can continue through and nothing goes to harm that, so referring it to committee." Although the committee referral was not Boebert's desired outcome, she characterized Thursday's vote as historic, claiming it marked the first time in 24 years that a Republican majority had advanced impeachment proceedings against a sitting president.
Boebert's criticism of President Biden centered around immigration enforcement. She alleged that he had disregarded immigration laws and released over 2 million undocumented immigrants into the interior of the United States without proper enforcement mechanisms to ensure their appearance in immigration court.
Representative Mark Green (R-Tenn.), chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, emphasized that the referral would not alter his committee's approach to examining the administration's immigration policies. He stated, "We're looking at all the things that they're failing to do. There's not going to be that much of a change, other than we'll dig into the actual actions of the president in conjunction with what's happened."
The timeline for committee action and the potential referral of impeachment charges to the House Judiciary Committee remains uncertain. Green did not provide a specific timeline but assured reporters that the investigation was progressing according to a planned pathway.
During the discussions, Representative Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) ridiculed Republicans for prioritizing the impeachment of the president instead of focusing on efforts to reform immigration laws.
The committee referral indicates a shift in strategy regarding Boebert's impeachment resolution, while the House continues its examination of immigration policies and enforcement actions undertaken by the Biden administration. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.