House

Greene, Gaetz compete for credit over Biden impeachment effort

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., talks with Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., in the House chamber as the House meets for the third day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) sparred Tuesday over who deserves credit for House Republicans moving ahead with an impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

The dispute came as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) directed House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry against Biden, based on House Republican investigations into the Biden family’s foreign business dealings.

Gaetz has been threatening to move to oust McCarthy as speaker if he didn’t meet a list of demands, including concrete steps toward impeachment. The Florida lawmaker hit back at criticism from Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, who said he was “speaking into the wind” with his threats last week.

“When @SpeakerMcCarthy makes his announcement in moments, remember that as I pushed him for weeks, @kilmeade said I was: ‘Speaking into the wind’ on impeachment,” Gaetz posted Tuesday morning on X, formerly Twitter. “Turns out, the wind may be listening!”

McCarthy told reporters Monday he was “not at all” worried about Gaetz’s threat to force a vote on his removal.

“Matt’s Matt,” McCarthy said.

Greene, a supporter of McCarthy, snapped back at Gaetz for his comments. She noted she filed impeachment articles against Biden “on his very first day in office,” despite actually doing so on his second day in office.

“You wouldn’t cosponsor those and I had to drag you kicking and screaming to get you to cosponsor my articles on the border,” Greene retorted in an X post. “Who’s really been making the push?”

According to McCarthy, the inquiry will be led by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) in coordination with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.).

“I do not make this decision lightly. And regardless of your party or who you voted for, these facts should concern all Americans,” McCarthy said.