By Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) has introduced a privileged resolution to impeach President Biden, citing a “dereliction of duty” and “abuse of power” over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border.
By introducing the articles of impeachment under a privileged resolution, Boebert has superseded House Republican leadership’s ability to control what comes to the House floor. By bypassing the usual process for bringing legislation to a full House vote, Boebert’s action would force lawmakers to vote on the measure in the next two days. But House Democrats announced Tuesday they will move to table the resolution, which would effectively prevent the House from considering a vote on final passage that would impeach Biden.
It’s unclear whether Boebert’s resolution would be successful in the Republican House majority. But several Republican lawmakers and aides privately lamented Tuesday evening that the move is a distraction when government-minded members are trying to focus on finessing myriad appropriations bills before an upcoming two-week recess.
Boebert, who like other far-right lawmakers has repeatedly called for Biden’s removal from office, claims in the resolution that the president has violated his oath for “knowingly” failing to enforce federal immigration laws, among other accusations.
“President Biden has pursued this open border agenda purposefully and willfully, circumventing every safeguard, check, and balance required by law, resulting in mass illegal immigration into the United States to the detriment of the American people,” Boebert said on the House floor Tuesday evening.
In response, White House Counsel’s Office spokesman Ian Sams condemned Boebert’s actions as an effort to distract from House Republicans’ ineffectualness in the majority.
“Instead of working with President Biden on solutions to the issues that matter most to the American people, like creating jobs, lowering costs and strengthening health care, extreme House Republicans are staging baseless political stunts that do nothing to help real people and only serve to get themselves attention,” he said in a statement.
Boebert is the second lawmaker from the staunchly conservative House Freedom Caucus to introduce a privileged resolution in just one week, a sign that the small group of far-right Republicans is becoming more emboldened. The group has been incensed since Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) largely circumvented their demands to dramatically cut spending when striking a deal with the Biden administration to lift the debt ceiling and avert economic calamity last month.
The far-right flank of lawmakers was so angry over the deal that they prevented the House from voting on noncontroversial, partisan legislation for one week until they could ensure concessions from McCarthy. Several Freedom Caucus lawmakers, as well as other hard-right Republicans, relented on their floor blockade once McCarthy directed appropriators to match next year’s government funding to 2022 fiscal year spending levels and allowed an immediate vote on a resolution that would repeal a Biden administration gun regulation.
Boebert’s move comes after Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) introduced a privileged resolution to censure and fine Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) last week for investigating President Donald Trump. That resolution failed after 20 Republicans voted with Democrats to table it, specifically pointing to the $16 million fine as unconstitutional and fearing the action could set a precedent for a Democratic majority to do the same to a Republican in the minority.
Luna reintroduced the resolution Tuesday evening after stripping the fine to appease moderates and libertarians. It is now expected to pass as early as Wednesday.
“A majority of 20 are switching their vote to support the new resolution and some members who were out of town will be voting with us,” Luna tweeted Tuesday evening.
Luna’s push could inspire other far-right lawmakers to fast-track their own prioritized resolutions that largely dabble in culture war issues that ignite Trump’s base. Boebert shouted out her effort on Twitter Tuesday, writing to Luna, “Love your leadership on this! Thank you!”