House Rules Committee to consider Hunter Biden contempt resolutions next week, setting up floor vote
The House Oversight and Judiciary Committees formally recommend to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The House Rules Committee will consider the resolutions that would hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress, setting up the potential for a full vote on the House floor as early as next week on whether to recommend the first son for prosecution.
The House Oversight Committee and the House Judiciary Committee passed resolutions to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden on Wednesday.
The vote by the House Judiciary Committee was 23-14. The House Oversight Committee vote was 25-21.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}HOUSE COMMITTEES FORMALLY RECOMMEND TO HOLD HUNTER BIDEN IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS
The resolutions are now set to be considered by the House Rules Committee on Tuesday January 16 at 4 p.m. The panel will set the terms for the floor debate and prepare the resolution.
It is unclear, at this point, whether each committee's resolution will be considered on the floor for a full vote, or if the House Rules Committee will combine both resolutions into one for consideration for a contempt of Congress vote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hunter Biden, center, and his attorneys Abbe Lowell, right, and Kevin Morris, left, arrive for the House Oversight and Accountability Committee markup titled "Resolution Recommending That The House Of Representatives Find Robert Hunter Biden In Contempt Of Congress," in Rayburn Building on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
A source familiar tells Fox News Digital a full House floor vote on whether to hold Hunter Biden in contempt could come as early as Wednesday.
House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jaime Raskin, D-Md., blasted the move, saying the committee took "unprecedented action to hold in contempt a private citizen who stands ready to provide the Committee with all the information it seeks."
Hunter Biden made a surprise appearance at the House Oversight Committee markup with his attorneys Abbe Lowell and Kevin Morris. Biden and his attorneys ultimately left the markup session before the vote on the resolution.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hunter Biden, center, and his attorneys Abbe Lowell, right, and Kevin Morris, left, leave the House Oversight and Accountability Committee markup titled "Resolution Recommending That The House Of Representatives Find Robert Hunter Biden In Contempt Of Congress," in Rayburn Building on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Hunter Biden, ahead of his subpoenaed deposition on December 13, had offered to testify publicly. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, rejected his request, stressing that the first son would not have special treatment and pointed to the dozens of other witnesses who have appeared, as compelled, for their interviews and depositions. Comer and Jordan vowed to release the transcript of Hunter Biden’s deposition.
The first son, though, defied the subpoena, ignored the offer and delivered a public statement outside the Capitol. At the time, he said his father "was not financially involved in my business."
Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., arrives for the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing titled "Unsuitable Litigation: Oversight of Third-Party Litigation Funding" in Rayburn Building on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Comer said Wednesday that Hunter Biden "blantantly defied two lawful subpoenas."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Comer said "Hunter Biden’s willful refusal to comply with the committees’ subpoenas is a criminal act" that "constitutes contempt of Congress and warrants referral to the appropriate United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution as prescribed by law."
HOUSE GOP SAYS HUNTER BIDEN ‘VIOLATED FEDERAL LAW' BY DEFYING SUBPOENA, PREPARE CONTEMPT RESOLUTION
"We will not provide Hunter Biden with special treatment because of his last name," Comer said. "All Americans must be treated equally under the law. And that includes the Bidens."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on October 20, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the White House refused to answer questions on whether it was told in advance that Hunter Biden would attend the House Oversight's markup session on Wednesday.
"So here's what I'll say. And I've said this many times before: Hunter, as you all know, as a private citizen, he's not a member of this White House," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "He makes his own decisions, like he did today about how to respond to Congress."
Hunter Biden and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. (Getty Images)
She went on to refer "any further questions, any additional questions about this process" to Hunter Biden’s attorneys.
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When pressed again on whether the White House was informed in advance, Jean-Pierre said, "I don’t have anything — we don’t have anything else to share beyond that."
Last month, Comer and Jordan expanded their investigation to probe whether President Biden was involved in his son's "scheme" to defy his subpoena for deposition, which, they say, "could constitute an impeachable offense."