Biden-district Republicans targeted in new attack ads over impeachment inquiry votes

EXCLUSIVE — House Republicans representing districts won by President Joe Biden in 2020 are coming under attack by Democratic groups after backing a formal impeachment inquiry into the president.

The Democratic-aligned Congressional Integrity Project launched a new ad campaign on Wednesday targeting vulnerable Republicans running in Biden-won districts over their vote to advance the inquiry, underscoring the political risk that vote could hold as the incumbent lawmakers seek reelection in their competitive districts. The ads are part of a seven-figure advocacy campaign launched by the group earlier this year targeting the 17 Republicans currently holding House seats in districts that voted for Biden, attacking the lawmakers for “ignoring critical priorities” and instead focusing on “bogus investigations.”

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“MAGA House Republicans just voted to open a baseless impeachment inquiry into President Biden, despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing by the president,” the narrator says in the ad, which was first shared with the Washington Examiner. “And how did [lawmaker’s name] vote? He voted with the extreme MAGA Republicans. He put an extreme MAGA agenda ahead of lowering costs for families. He chose to stand with Donald Trump, not with the American people.”

The ad calls on voters to contact their representatives to end the “sham impeachment,” arguing it’s only being used to “hurt President Biden and help Donald Trump return to the White House.” The group also cited data showing an impeachment inquiry is unpopular within these Biden-won districts, accusing the lawmakers of voting against their constituents’ interests.

“Despite absolutely no evidence whatsoever of wrongdoing by President Biden, the Biden 17 caved to Donald Trump and the extreme MAGA agenda to launch a baseless impeachment inquiry into the President,” Kyle Herrig, executive director of the Congressional Integrity Project, said in a statement. “They have made a clear stance to turn their backs on hardworking Americans across the country and the important priorities they have – like lowering the cost of living and access to health care. It’s time for the Biden 17 to stand up against the ultra-right-wing flank of the House and stand with the American people.”

The ads come one week after the House voted along party lines to formalize its impeachment inquiry into Biden, the latest step in the GOP’s monthslong investigation into the president over alleged influence peddling by members of his family. Although House Republicans have already been pursuing impeachment for months, the vote gives lawmakers more power to enforce subpoenas that the White House has previously bucked due to arguments the investigation lacks “constitutional legitimacy.”

The resolution to greenlight the inquiry passed along party lines, with all Republicans supporting the measure — even as some of the most vulnerable members of the party acknowledged the investigation may not uncover any high crimes or misdemeanors. However, several justified their stance by noting the move is not the same as supporting impeachment itself. Rather, lawmakers argue formalizing the inquiry would simply give them more power to gather evidence.

“I think it’s needed if the president’s not providing information and he’s using the excuse: ‘We don’t have an impeachment inquiry formally voted on.’ That means we need to have one,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who contended earlier this year that an impeachment inquiry would be premature, told the Washington Examiner last week.

However, Bacon acknowledged added that he didn’t believe the investigation would uncover evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors — predicting it’s “more likely than not” that articles of impeachment won’t be drafted when the inquiry reaches its end.

“Frankly, my thought is, and I may be an outlier on this, I think it’s more important to have this information for the elections. Let the voters decide,” Bacon said. “I don’t know that you’re going to see a high crime or misdemeanor, but I think the voters deserve to know what did the Bidens do with $25 million. Where did it come in from? Where did it go? I think the voters should know what’s going on.”

The vote also holds deep political risks for the 17 Republicans in Biden-won districts as 44% of those voters say they’d be less likely to vote for a member of Congress who backed the impeachment inquiry compared to just 24% who said they’d be more likely to back them, according to independent polling conducted by Public Policy Polling. Only 26% said it wouldn’t make a difference, while 6% were not sure.

The Congressional Integrity Project has seized on that polling, weaponizing it against those vulnerable Republicans as they seek to push back against Republican efforts to investigate Biden and his family members. The districts being targeted are those held by Bacon and Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), John Duarte (R-CA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Mike Garcia (R-CA), Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ), Jen Kiggans (R-VA), Young Kim (R-CA), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Marc Molinaro (R-NY), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Michelle Steel (R-CA), David Valadao (R-CA), and Brandon Williams (R-NY).

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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has repeatedly defended his decision to bring the impeachment inquiry to the floor for a vote, accusing the White House of stonewalling Republicans’ investigation.

“Now we’re being stalled by the White House because they’re preventing at least two to three DOJ witnesses from coming forward,” Johnson said last month after announcing he would hold a vote. “A formal impeachment inquiry vote on the floor will allow us to take it to the next necessary step, and I think it’s something we have to do at this juncture.”