Democracy. Next, the first public hearing for the impeachment inquiry into president by the House Oversight and Accountability Committee led by kentucky representative james palmer meant for nearly six hours House Republicans at the inquiry is focused on whether biden was involved in or benefited from his familys foreign business dealings. [background noises] [background noises] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] which members are waving . [background noises] a committee on oversight and accountability will come to order. I want to welcome everyone here today. Without objection the chair may declare a racist at any time. The first order of business is to welcome the return of eight eightmember to the committee. We went to welcome from michigan to the committee congresswoman has been a member of the house. [applause] since 2019. Before that she served 15 years the Michigan House of representatives but she is a familiar face to this committee as she spent her first two terms on the Oversight Committee congresswoman replaces congresswoman of vermont and i went to welcome back congresswoman i now recognize Ranking Member reckons to welcome congresswoman for. Thank you chairman for that very worm welcome extended to our colleague the favorite daughter of michigan and a veteran of this committee. We are so thrilled and delighted she is back to join us. Well back progressive sentiment yields back. I ask unanimous consent for representative jason smith of the house ways and Means Committee to be waved on the committee for todays hearing for the purposes of asking questions. Without objection so ordered. Ask mr. Jim asking thems consent our colleague congressman glenn ivey from maryland be permitted to join the committee for questions of the witnesses today. Without objection so ordered. I now recognize myself for the purpose of making an Opening Statement. Since assuming a republican majority in january the House Oversight and Accountability Committee has uncovered a mountain of evidence revealing how joe biden abused his Public Office for his familys financial gain. For years President Biden has lied to the American People about his knowledge of and participation in his familys corrupt business schemes. At least 10 times joe biden lied to the American People that he never spoke to his family about their business dealings. He lied by telling the American People there is an absolute wall between his official government duties and his personal life. Lets be clear there was no wall. The door was wide open to those who purchased business associate described as the biden brand. Evidence reveals then Vice President joe biden spoke, dined develop relationships with his familys foreign business targets. These business targets include foreign oligarchs who sent millions of dollars to his family. Also include the Chinese National who were at a quarter of a Million Dollars to his son. Joe biden also led to the American People about his family making money in china. He continued to lie about it evewhen the House Oversight committee uncovered bank wires revealing how the bidens received millions from Chinese Company with significant ties to chinese intelligence and the Chinese Communist party. Just this week we uncovered two additional wire center hunter biden that originate in beijing from Chinese Nationals. This happened when joe biden wasnt running for president of the United States and joe bidens home is listed as the beneficiary address. Two dates the House Oversight minis uncovered of the bidens of their associates created over 20 Shell Companies most of which were created when joe biden was Vice President raked in over 20 million between 2014 and 2019. We have also identified nine biden Family Members who have participated in or benefited from these shady business schemes. What were the biden selling to make all this money . Joe biden himself mike joe biden is the branch of biden showed up at least two dozen times of business targets and associates sending signals of access, influence and power to those prepared to pay for it. The American People demand accountability for this cultural corruption. They demand to know how these schemes have compromised President Biden and threaten our scnational security. They demand it safeguards to be put in place to prevent Public Officials from selling access to the Public Office for private pugain. Under that leadership of speaker Kevin MccarthyHouse Republicans of open and impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. By opening and impeachment inquiry or investigation is now focused on whether President Biden engage in Impeachable Offenses under the u. S. Constitution. It empowers congress elected by the people to continue providing the answers, transparency and accountability that the American People demand and deserve. And recent history democrats inflicted much damage on the credibility of special investigations by peddling the russian collision hoax. But this committee under this majority will not pursue such witchhunts based on manufactured allegation, innuendo, and no real evidence printed House Oversight committee will examine over two dozen pieces of amevidence revealing to bidens corruption and abuse of Public Offices includes emails, Text Messages, bank records, testimony of biden Business Associates. We will hear from legal and Financial Experts about evidence and crimes that may have been committed as joe biden was sold around the world for the House Oversight committee on the committees on judiciary ways and means will continue to follow the money and the evidence to prove accountability so americans know their Public Offices are not for sale. I now yield to jason smith the chairman of the house and means for his Opening Statement perfect thank you chairman comber. Yesterday the ways and Means Committee released new documents showing President Biden was not just aware of his sons in business dealings, but he was connected to them. In eight newly released a message to Business Executive hunter biden mentioned preserving the quote keys to my families only asset. That asset, joe biden. New evidence released in response to questions raised by members of the committee on both sides and gary shapley and joseph the two iris whistleblowers testified enjoy painting a disturbing picture of a revolving door between joe bidens office and Hunter BidensBusiness Partnership. According to a worksheet provided by irs whistleblower then vice President Bidens april 2014 official visit to ukraine occurred only days after a series of white house meetings with hunter biden and his Business Associates regarding ukraine. Shortly after joe biden returneu stateside the Ukrainian Company burisma announced Hunter Bidens appointment to its board. New evidence provided shows hunter biden using his fathers position to gain favor with a billionaire including having joe biden hosted them at the white house in february of 2014 at the Vice President s residence alongside mexican billionaire carlos in november of 2015. And then in 2016 using air force to to shuttle hunter biden and his business associate to mexico city. With its lunches, phone calls, white house meetings or official foreign trips hunter biden cashed in by arranging access to joe biden, the family brand. The biden family and associates received millions in payments from foreign sources including from russia, china, ukraine, romania and one email hunter biden even bragged to cut a deal for 10 million from Just One Company for quotes introductions alone. And yet the d. O. J. Wanted to keep the spotlight is far from joe biden as possible. One of the items we released yesterday was an irs interview with james and biden the president s brother in september of 2022. The agency was barred in the interview from asking him about joe biden on whether joe biden was involved in hunter biden deal with the Chinese Energy company. When hunter biden has Tax Liability of over 2 million paid for by kevin morris, who he barely knew, something irs investigator saw as a possible Campaign Finance violation. Assistant u. S. Attorney that when any of the agents to look into the allegation. Behind the board art notes took frt mee h notable told investigators she was not oteersonally interestedn pursuing it. This is the same attorne wolfn a email released yesterday responded to irs investigators seeking al for a searcharra with quote there should be nothing about political figure one in here. That being a reference by definition of joe biden. The biden family sold access to joe bidens power in the Biden Justice department protected the biden brand. We must continue to follow the facts. Website yield to representative jordan because i think the gentleman for yielding. This is a tale as old as time. Politician takes action that makes money for his family and then tries to conceal it. Never forget for fundamental facts but hunter biden gets put on the board of burisma, gets paid a lot of money. Hunter biden is not qualified back there with you to sit on the board, my words his words being said he got on the board not because of the brand the name braid the number three the executive asked hunter bite into white and help them with the pressure thereunder from the prosecutor in ukraine. Fact number four, joe biden goes ukraine on september 9, 2015 gives the speech attacking the prosecutor that starts the process of getting that guy fired. Those effects by the way are consistent with what the confidential human source told the fbi the fbi recorded in the 1023 form. The same form the Justice Department did not want the city can meet to secret all of those facts all that was further confirmed yesterday what the information that ways and Means Committee released the whistleblowers. Heres a communication from hunter biden to an executive with burisma. Devon i do feel comfortable with the blue star strategy and the ability of sally and karen to deliver. Burisma on touch with Blue Star Strategies what was i going to deliver . That was in a communication released yesterday as well but u. S. Officials in ukraine and in the United States need to express support for burisma to the highest level decisionmakers the president of ukraine. The president s chief of staff and the prosecutor general. That is there going to deliver. Were they successful . The interior minister confirmed hes no longer wanted. We won and less than a year. Communications from the folks at blue star and eric who is Hunter BidensBusiness Partner also a claudication that if they got done when this happened in october 2000 saltine pressures taken off the case is dropped this is the second prosecutor. Joe biden fired the first one. The second prosecutor comes in, drop the charges. That is exactly what they wanted done. And the final step, the final step is the Biden Justice department tries to sweep it all under the rug. They slow walk the investigation revealed the statue of limitations lapse for the most important years 14 and 15 the burisma ears with all the income is coming in. They try to put together the sweetheart deal to get past the judge. And we learned yesterday in the search warrant examining Hunter Bidens electronic communication they were not allowed to ask about political figure one. Political figure number one is the big guy, is joe biden. They would have gotten away with it all where they wouldve gotten away with it all except for two brave whistleblowers who sat in those seats two months ago and told her story. Their story has stood up for two brave it whistleblower a judge in delaware and said we are not going to let this happen. That is why we are here today but that is why this inquiry is so darn important. As the oldest story in the world and those are the facts i yield back. Red Opening Statement there. Thank you. Forgive my Opening Statement i have a parliamentary inquiry. Given the committee has not been authorized by the full house to conduct an impeachment inquiry am i correct an estimate we are obligated to follow the rules of the house and putting section s iii 70 of the rules in the man it was prescribed engaging personalities for the president . Than on what well, consider this an investigation of joe biden i assume his name is going to come up. Right. The house is not authorized as an impeachment inquiry so were operating with the general rules . I think saying the president lied is considered engaging in a personality. Section iii 70 says accusation the presence committed a crime or even the presence done something illegal or un parliamentary. Of we are operative the general rules of the house because the house is not authorized to. s speaker of the house has authorized the impeachment inquiry. It has been authorized. Okay all right. The Ranking Member. I believe changing of the rules must require a vote from the full house of representatives. Next rules of the committee for. A chair of the rules point of order article the impeachments are not directly before this commitment we are looking into the potential wrongdoing of the espresident. Given the unique nature subject matter of todays hearing topic these words will not be ruled out of order. Ranking member please proceed too. Thank you for clarifying mr. Chairman we obviously have an honest disagreement about that. Alright so lets get it straight we are 62 hours away from shutting down the government of the United States of america republicans are launching impeachment drive based on a long debunked and discredited live. No foreign enemy has our mouth shut on the government of the niceties nown maga republicans are about to do just that. But they do not to cut off Public Services the people denied paychecks to more than 1 million Service Members without first launching impeachment drive even when they dont have a shred of evidence against President Biden for an Impeachable Offense. You think i am being harsh . Heres what some republicans have had to say over the last week about the actions of the republicans as they watchth up the dysfunction caucus at work in the words of our gop colleague from nebraska don bacon. Clown show, foolishness, terribly misguided, stupidity, failure to lead, lunatics, disgraceful, new low, pathetic, enabling people have serious issues, those folks dont have a plan to show just how broken they are and individuals want to burn the whole place down. If i said any of these things they take my words down but these are republicans talking about republicans. So lets be clear this is not partisan warfare america sing today it is chaotic infighting between republicans and republicans. It is a maga versus extreme maga as if anybody in the real world could tell the difference between the two. What a staggering failure of leadership. Speaker mccarthys appeasement of the most fanatical elements of his conference now threaten theel wellbeing of every american. Some people think the members the gop caucus are not missing anything logical. Theyin just want to see the word burn. As alford penny werth put it in the dark night pic a method in the madness. I would get what donald trump posted a comment saying a Government Shutdown quote is the last chance to defund these political prosecutions against me and other patriots, to delay Justice Donald trump would cut off paychecks to a couple million Se