Senate Republicans on Wednesday launched a high-profile hearing to investigate whether President Joe Biden's aides and members of the media deliberately concealed signs of cognitive decline during his presidency, as Democrats on the Judiciary Committee opted not to participate, Breitbart reported.
A Senate Judiciary Committee hearing was convened Wednesday to examine whether members of the press and President Biden's inner circle worked together to obscure signs of cognitive decline throughout his presidency. The hearing is being led by Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Eric Schmitt of Missouri, who have accused Biden's advisers of misleading the public about his mental fitness.
The hearing comes amid continuing scrutiny of Biden's health and leadership during his term.
In a post on X introducing the session, Schmitt called the matter "one of the most damning scandals in U.S. history." He alleged that those close to the president "knew he was mentally unfit to govern," yet "lied to you about it and used it to their advantage." He added, "We're going to expose how it happened."
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., also voiced concern in a video shared on X. She stated she was attending the hearing to uncover "who was really in charge of the White House while Biden was president, who had that autopen, what was happening with his health." Blackburn added, "Democrats are already throwing the towel in. They didn't even call a witness."
Democrats on the committee have decided to boycott the hearing entirely. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., defended the move and criticized the nature of the event.
"We have so many important topics to consider, and this is a totally political undertaking by several of my colleagues. It is a waste of the Senate Judiciary Committee's time," Durbin said.
Durbin's office stated the senator would deliver brief opening remarks before leaving the session and that no other Democratic members were expected to remain for questioning.
During the hearing, Cornyn framed the inquiry as a matter of national security and trust.
"There was a conspiracy to hide the president's true condition by his family, by his staff, by the media, and many elected officials," he said. "With a compromised president, our government's very legitimacy and capacity to function was undermined. The American people paid a price from President Biden's handling of the border crisis to the disastrous events we saw unfold in Afghanistan."
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., pointed to the Democrats' absence as further evidence of partisan divide. "The fact that we have none of my Democratic colleagues over here, that this entire diocese is empty, that what they allowed to happen, that they are not interested in correcting it for the future, is absolutely mind-blowing," Britt said.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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