Sharice Davids votes to save Biden from inquiry as impeachment storm brews

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Kansas 3rd District Congresswoman Sharice Davids towed the line with Democrats in the House Wednesday, voting against an inquiry into the impeachment of President Joe Biden on suspicions he and members of his family colluded to sell high-level influence both nationally and internationally when he was vice-president under President Barack Obama.

H.R. 918 passed on a straight party-line vote, with 221 Republicans in favor and 212 Democrats against. The measure defines the scope of an investigation into Biden’s alleged influence peddling scheme within the purview of the House Ways and Means, Judiciary and Oversight and Accountability committees, including means to subpoena and compel testimony from witnesses and documentation from both public and private sources.

Davids has been a consistent supporter of Biden’s governing agenda since the president took office in January 2021, as a reliable vote for Biden’s massive spending agenda, “green” environmental policies and socio-cultural platform.

Members of the Oversight committee have alleged a range of instances dating back to 2014 in which the Biden family profited from influence deals with China, Romania, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, saying records obtained through the committee’s subpoenas todate show the Bidens and their associates have received over $20 million in payments from foreign entities. Pivotal to the investigation to date has been the role played by Biden’s son Hunter Biden as an alleged “bagman” who arranged meetings, pledged services to clients and collected large sums of money which committee members say was filtered through a host of shell companies owned by the Bidens, and from which numerous of Joe Bidens’ personal expenses were paid.

The inquiry, which is expected to begin in January after congress returns from holiday break, was the latest in a tough series of political knocks for Sharice Davids and other members of the Democrat progressive establishment in congress. 

The impeachment inquiry vote followed Davids’ non-committal vote of “present” on a resolution condemning the rise of anti-Semitism in the country which was passed with both Republican and limited Democrat support. But Davids attempted to pivot away from controversies involving her past support of anti-Israel congresswomen Ihlan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and the condemnation vote when she joined Republicans and some other Democrats in a resolution condemning the testimony of three university presidents last week who refused to penalize anti-Semitic protests student protesters at their universities. Davids voted “yea” with the 303-126 majority, though she has strong ties and has accepted financial contributions from those who voted against the measure.

The resolution signifies an official inquiry that has been underway in various quarters of the Republican-controlled congress for months. GOP members said the formalized the inquiry and called a floor vote for authorization after the White House denied several document requests last month, saying the request was unconstitutional due to the lack of a congressional vote.

Davids’s office could not be reached Saturday for comment.

President Biden has vehemently denied the allegations. Hunter Biden mocked a congressional subpoena Thursday for a closed-door deposition before the Oversight Committee, instead holding a Capitol Hill press conference, claiming his father was never “financially” involved in his business dealings.

Republicans have noted the Biden family denials have changed over time.

“First, Joe Biden had no knowledge, then he had no involvement, and now he has no ‘financial’ involvement,” noted Republican National Committee strategic communications directory Tommy Pigott. 

Republican members were calling for a finding of contempt of Congress against Hunter Biden at week’s end.