WASHINGTON, D.C. — As lawmakers start trickling back to Washington from their holiday recess, they are still trying to piece together a framework for an impeachment trial against President Trump.
Indiana Representative Jim Banks’ job is done for the most part. He voted “no” along with every Republican in the House against impeaching the president. Now that two articles have been adopted, the Senate awaits House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to send them over.
Impeachment has been a topic of note among the Democrat candidates for president. It’s been particularly impactful on the campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden, who’s son is was a focal point of the impeachment investigation since it was his dealings with a Ukrainian natural gas company that was discussed between President Trump and the president of Ukraine.
Biden had originally said he would probably not comply with a subpoena to testify in the impeachment trial about his son. He has since walked back those comments. Banks said that move was sheerly for political reasons.
“Politicians don’t make a colossal flip-flop like that, unless they took a poll and realize they made one heck of a political mistake,” Banks said to Fox News. “Joe Biden understands now that he is caught between a rock and a hard place.”
Banks said you deserve to know more about what he called “corrupt activities” by Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
“The American people deserve to know more,” he said. “If he is subpoenaed to appear before a committee during the impeachment hearings in the Senate, Joe Biden knows he is going to have to do that and it’s not going to go well for his presidential prospects.”
South Bend Mayor and fellow presidential candidate Pete Buttgieg weighed in on the Biden’s involvement in the impeachment talk Monday. He told the Associated Press he “would not have wanted to see” his son serving on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.
It’s not clear if Biden will be called to testify. As lawmakers argue over the framework of the likely impeachment trial, Republicans and Democrats are in some disagreement over whether or not witnesses will even be brought forward.
(PHOTO: Bill Clark/Getty Images)
