House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday threatened to impeach President Joe Biden if the Biden administration does not cooperate with an investigation into the IRS's alleged targeting of conservative groups.
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| 'Where's the evidence?': Democrat reacts to McCarthy's impeachment threat against Biden |
McCarthy made the threat during a speech on the House floor, in which he said that the IRS's actions were "an attack on the First Amendment."
"If the IRS is going to use its power to target political opponents, then we have a serious problem," McCarthy said. "And if the Biden administration is going to cover it up, then we have an even bigger problem."
McCarthy's threat of impeachment comes after an IRS whistleblower alleged that the agency had targeted conservative groups for audits. The whistleblower, who has not been identified, testified before the House Oversight Committee on Monday that the IRS had opened up audits of conservative groups after they had been critical of the Biden administration.
The Biden administration has denied any wrongdoing. In a statement, the White House said that the IRS "is a nonpartisan agency that follows the law." The statement also said that the allegations of IRS targeting were "baseless."
The IRS has also denied the allegations, saying that it "does not target taxpayers based on their political affiliation."
The House Oversight Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the matter on Wednesday.
McCarthy's threat of impeachment has been met with criticism from Democrats.
"This is nothing more than a political stunt," said Democratic Representative Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania. "There is no evidence of any wrongdoing by the Biden administration."
Dean also said that McCarthy's threat of impeachment was "a dangerous attack on our democracy."
"It is clear that Kevin McCarthy is more interested in partisan politics than he is in the rule of law," Dean said.
In response to McCarthy's threat, Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff said that the allegations of IRS targeting were "serious" and that "the American people deserve answers."
"If these allegations are true, it would be a grave abuse of power and a threat to our democracy," Schiff said. "The IRS must cooperate fully with the House Oversight Committee's investigation."
It remains to be seen whether McCarthy will follow through on his threat to impeach Biden. However, his threat has certainly cast a shadow over the Biden administration and has raised concerns about the future of American democracy.
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