What to Know in Washington: Republicans Divided Over Impeachment

Congressional Republicans are divided over whether the House should embark on an impeachment inquiry involving President Joe Biden while polls show voters are more concerned about the economy.

House lawmakers from the most conservative districts are keen to rev up the voters back home — and ward off potential primary challengers — with an impeachment probe. Senate GOP leaders, eyeing an election next year chock full of vulnerable Democrats, want to focus instead on the economy because that’s what moves independents seen as key to winning close races.

Photographer: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Tensions among Republicans over pursuing a Biden impeachment have flared in recent weeks as scrutiny intensifies on his son, Hunter Biden, with the election a little more than a year away. On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland made the prosecutor investigating the younger Biden a special counsel, meaning the legal drama could continue into the election year.

Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, that same day became the third House Republican to file articles of impeachment against the president, alleging he’s deeply tied to allegations and investigations surrounding his son. Critics of the president have cited his management of the Mexican border and possible involvement in his son’s foreign business dealings as potential grounds for impeachment.

So far, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has held off on a final decision about an impeachment inquiry, though he strongly suggested last month before lawmakers left for recess that a probe could begin, citing concerns over Biden family finances and allegations of corruption involving Hunter Biden. Read the full story from Laura Litvan.

BIDEN’S AGENDA

• Around 11 a.m., Biden will welcome South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to the Camp David Trilateral Summit. Read more about the meeting.
• The trio will hold a joint press conference around 3 p.m.
• The president and first lady depart Camp David around 6 p.m. to travel to Reno, Nevada.
• National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will gaggle with press at the Camp David Filing Center around 8:30 a.m.

Coming Up on Capitol Hill

BGOV OnPoint: Lawmakers Spar Over Global Tax Deal

A group of House lawmakers is headed to Paris over recess to discuss the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s global tax deal, which has met Republican opposition in Congress.

Senators Seek FTC Probe of YouTube, Google

Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) write FTC Chair Lina Khan to investigate YouTube and its parent company Google following reports showing the companies may have violated FTC rules on tracking and targeting children on their platforms without parental consent.

Citibank Subpoenaed By Jordan Over Jan. 6

House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) issued a subpoena to Citibank seeking information about whether it gave law enforcement information about customer transactions around the Jan. 6 insurrection, CNBC reports.

Politics, Probes and 2024

Trump Proposes April 2026 Trial in DOJ Election Case

Donald Trump has proposed April 2026 for a federal trial on 2020 election obstruction allegations against him, arguing a jury shouldn’t consider the case until voters decide next year if he should get another term in the White House.

• Trump has also canceled a news conference he planned to hold on Monday in response to his latest indictment, because, he said, of advice from his lawyers. Read more.

Trump’s Rivals Look to Seize Spotlight as He Skips Georgia Event

Republican presidential candidates are converging Friday for a meeting of conservative activists, a chance to test their message before next week’s debate and court voters without the presence of Trump.

Biden Team Aims to Tie GOP Field to Trump

Biden’s reelection campaign aims to use the first Republican presidential debate to paint the field of challengers as extremists inexorably tied to Trump, even as the current GOP frontrunner toys with skipping the event.

• Presidential hopeful Will Hurd said his GOP primary rivals aren’t ready to be president if they’re afraid to stand up to Trump. Read more.

DeSantis Preps Attack Over China Ties Against Ramaswamy

Ron DeSantis’s allies consider entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who is edging closer to the Florida governor for the number two spot in the Republican presidential field, as vulnerable for his ties to China and willingness to join a trans-Pacific trade deal.

Biden’s Top Lawyer to Depart White House

Biden’s top White House lawyer is preparing to depart his role, shaking up the counsel’s office as probes into the president’s handling of classified documents and his son’s business dealings are intensifying.

What Else We’re Reading

Abortion Drug Access Limits Unclear as Fight Goes to High Court

A potential rollback of FDA efforts to make the popular abortion drug mifepristone more widely available moved a step closer with the Fifth Circuit’s decision against expanded access to the medication.

Block on Idaho Transgender Sports Ban Upheld by 9th Cir.

The Ninth Circuit Thursday upheld a ruling that blocked implementation of Idaho’s ban on transgender women and girls participating in school sports.

EPA Adds Climate Change to List of Enforcement Priorities

The EPA has added the mitigation of climate change to its list of enforcement priorities for the first time. The new effort will focus especially on methane emissions from oil and gas facilities; methane emissions from landfills; and the use, importation, and production of hydrofluorocarbons.

Powell to Speak at Jackson Hole as Investors Seek Clues on Rates

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will speak on Aug. 25 at the Kansas City Fed’s Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium.

• Economists see a stronger US economy into the next year and a smaller rise in unemployment, supporting expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates higher for longer. Read more.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kayla Sharpe at ksharpe@bloombergindustry.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Brandon Lee at blee@bgov.com