Biden addresses impeachment for the first time after Kevin McCarthy announces inquiry

President Joe Biden made his first remarks Wednesday about the Republican-led impeachment inquiry House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced this week.

“I don’t know quite why, but they just knew they wanted to impeach me. And now, the best I can tell, they want to impeach me because they want to shut down the government," Biden said at a campaign reception in McLean, Virginia.

“So look, look, I got a job to do. Everybody always asked about impeachment. I get up every day, not a joke, not focused on impeachment. I’ve got a job to do. I’ve got to deal with the issues that affect the American people every single solitary day,” he said.

McCarthy, R-Calif., announced Tuesday that he was directing three House committees to launch an impeachment inquiry after he indicated this month that he would not open such an inquiry without first holding a floor vote.

Congress also faces a Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government to avert a shutdown. Hard-line GOP House members are pushing for spending cuts in funding legislation that Biden will have to sign to keep the government open.

In announcing it Tuesday, McCarthy characterized the impeachment inquiry as a “logical next step” amid months of investigations led by House Republicans into the president and his son Hunter Biden. The probes have not uncovered evidence of wrongdoing by the president or ties between him and his son's foreign business dealings.

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McCarthy said the inquiry would be led by Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., in coordination with Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo.

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In July, Hunter Biden’s former business associate, Devon Archer, testified before the House Oversight Committee, which has examined Hunter Biden’s meetings and payments from several foreign sources. Archer testified that he was “not aware of any” wrongdoing by the president and that Hunter Biden would frequently call his father as he was meeting foreign business associates, though the conversations were limited to pleasantries like discussing the weather.

Comer said Wednesday his committee will hold a hearing this month “that will kind of evaluate some of the things that we believe have happened from the Biden family that are in violation with our laws.” He did not provide details about the timing or the substance of the hearing.