Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., told Newsmax on Tuesday that congressional Republicans must launch impeachment proceedings against President Joe Biden over allegations of bribery and influence peddling.
"We must impeach President Biden," Tenney said during an appearance on Newsmax's "The Chris Salcedo Show." "We can do the inquiry, put all the evidence together. The evidence is there in plain sight, as I've said, over and over. If we don't impeach Biden, we could stand to lose this next upcoming election and never take back our country and lose what we have as a constitution, self-governance and freedom."
"I think it's essential that we get together as Republicans," she continued. "We've passed other difficult issues. I think once all the evidence comes out, I don't think enough senators are going to be able to hide behind what's going to come out as evidence against Joe Biden through his proxy, his son Hunter. Let's hope that Chuck Schumer allows this to come to the floor in the Senate once we pass it in the House."
In an interview on Friday with Breitbart, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said that any impeachment inquiry into Biden would require a House vote and would not be opened with a proclamation from him or any other member.
"To open an impeachment inquiry is a serious matter, and House Republicans would not take it lightly or use it for political purposes," McCarthy told the outlet. "The American people deserve to be heard on this matter through their elected representatives. That's why, if we move forward with an impeachment inquiry, it would occur through a vote on the floor of the People's House and not through a declaration by one person."
To open an impeachment inquiry would require a majority vote of 218 members of the House.
Biden is facing increased scrutiny over first son Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings. A House probe is examining evidence that Hunter peddled access to his father while Joe Biden was serving as vice president in the Obama White House. Some members say there's growing proof that the elder Biden actively participated in his son's efforts.
The president's foreign and economic policies have also come under attack, with critics branding his chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal disastrous and inflation continuing to drive up the costs of essential everyday items.
Late last month, McCarthy said that an impeachment inquiry is "a natural step forward" that "provides Congress the apex of legal power to get all the information they need."