Hill Dems hammer Biden over Hunter pardon, citing 'two-tier' justice system



After President Joe Biden announced a sweeping pardon for his son Hunter Biden, several lawmakers from his own party came out against him.

Despite repeatedly asserting that he would not pardon his son, Biden is now allowing Hunter to evade legal repercussions for crimes committed from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024. This pardon was issued amid Hunter's most recent felony conviction on gun charges as well as his scandalous background surrounding felony tax offenses and his role in the Ukrainian gas company Burisma.

'This was an improper use of power, it erodes trust in our government, and it emboldens others to bend justice to suit their interests.'

Biden previously insisted that he would not pardon Hunter, reaffirming that "no one is above the law." Over the weekend, Biden announced the decision to pardon Hunter, claiming that he was being "selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted."

"The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election," Biden said in a statement released Sunday.

"No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong," Biden continued.

However, lawmakers from Biden's own party were not convinced.

"President Biden’s pardon of his son confirms a common belief I hear in Southwest Washington: that well-connected people are often gifted special treatment by a two-tier justice system," Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who just narrowly won re-election in Washington state, said in a Monday post on X. "The President made the wrong decision. No family should be above the law."

"I respect President Biden, but I think he got this one wrong," Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton said in a Monday post on X. "This wasn’t a politically-motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies, and was convicted by a jury of his peers."

Biden also faced backlash from Democrats on the Senate side.

"President Biden’s decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all," Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado said in a Monday post on X.

"President Biden’s decision to pardon his son was wrong," Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan said in a Monday post on X. "A president's family and allies shouldn't get special treatment. This was an improper use of power, it erodes trust in our government, and it emboldens others to bend justice to suit their interests."

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Mayorkas, Wray spark bipartisan ire for refusing to testify publicly about national security threats



Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray refused to testify publicly Thursday before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing.

The annual hearing is typically attended by the heads of the DHS and the FBI, but Mayorkas and Wray decided to opt out, ending an over 15-year tradition and igniting frustration on both sides of the political aisle.

'I look forward to Director Wray's resignation.'

Their refusal to testify about national security threats is set against the backdrop of several contentious events, including a scandal involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the conviction of the illegal alien who murdered Laken Riley, and President Joe Biden's go-ahead for Ukraine to deploy American long-range missile systems against Russia.

Senators torched Mayorkas and Wray for denying Americans the opportunity to hear from them amid many current hot-button issues facing the country.

The Democratic chair of the committee, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), rejected their excuse that they could testify only in a classified hearing.

"In a shocking departure from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's longstanding tradition of transparency and oversight of the threats facing our nation, for the first time in more than 15 years, the Homeland Security Secretary and the FBI Director have refused to appear before the Committee to provide public testimony at our annual hearing on Threats to the Homeland," Peters wrote in a prepared statement.

He accused Mayorkas and Wray of dealing "a serious blow to trust in our government."

"Their claims that they can only relay such information and respond to questions in a classified setting are entirely without merit," Peters added.

He called on the two men to reconsider and participate in the public hearing.

In statements to reporters, Peters explained that the hearing traditionally includes a closed session after public testimony. He also noted that the DHS released a 40-page document on threats to the homeland, which the committee had intended to discuss.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) called their refusal to testify "unacceptable."

"The American people deserve to hold these officials accountable for their actions under the Biden Administration," Paul said.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called for Wray to resign.

"Secretary Mayorkas and Director Wray's refusal to testify publicly today in the Senate is an outrage – and a brazen attempt to avoid oversight for the political abuses at FEMA, the FBI and more. I look forward to Director Wray's resignation," Hawley stated.

The hearing has been postponed until December.

In a statement to The Hill, the FBI said, "The FBI has repeatedly demonstrated our commitment to responding to Congressional oversight and being transparent with the American people."

"We remain committed to sharing information about the continuously evolving threat environment facing our nation and the extraordinary work the men and women of the FBI are doing — here at home and around the world — to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States," the statement continued. "FBI leaders have testified extensively in public settings about the current threat environment and believe the Committee would benefit most from further substantive discussions and additional information that can only be provided in a classified setting."

A DHS spokesperson told The Hill, "DHS and the FBI already have shared with the Committee and other Committees, and with the American public, extensive unclassified information about the current threat environment, including the recently published Homeland Threat Assessment. DHS takes seriously its obligation to respond to Congressional requests for testimony; in fact, Secretary Mayorkas has testified 30 times during his tenure."

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'A Serious Blow To Trust in Our Government': Dem Chair Rebukes Mayorkas, Wray for Skipping Senate Homeland Security Hearing

The Democratic chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee criticized Department of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI director Christopher Wray for failing to testify at the committee’s annual public hearing on threats facing the United States.

The post 'A Serious Blow To Trust in Our Government': Dem Chair Rebukes Mayorkas, Wray for Skipping Senate Homeland Security Hearing  appeared first on .

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The post Michigan Officials From Whitmer to Slotkin Silent In Wake of Assault on Jewish Student appeared first on .

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Probe into 'high-risk biological research and technology' to investigate COVID-19 origins and more



GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan — the ranking member and chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, respectively — plan to conduct a probe into the national security risks pertaining to "high-risk biological research and technology in the U.S. and abroad," according to a press release, which indicates that the oversight effort will involve investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Paul and Peters plan to hold hearings and conduct government-wide oversight on areas including high-risk life science research, biodefense, synthetic biology, biosafety and biosecurity lapses, early warning capabilities for emerging outbreaks or possible attacks, and potential origins of the COVID-19 pandemic," the press release notes.

"This bipartisan oversight effort will assess and identify measures to mitigate longstanding and emerging risks and threats that may result in serious biological incidents – whether deliberate, accidental, or natural. The investigation will also seek to increase transparency and strengthen oversight of taxpayer-funded life sciences research, laboratories in the U.S. and abroad, and detection of biological threats," the release adds.

Paul, who has served in the Senate since early 2011, has experience working as an ophthalmologist.

"It is well past time for the Senate to conduct a bipartisan inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, and, as part of this investigation, we finally will be holding Committee hearings to do just that," Paul said, according to the press release. "In order to prevent a more catastrophic pandemic from occurring, we must understand the nature of US-funded biotechnology and hold accountable those who engage in risky gain-of-function research."

"I've been banging on the doors of federal agencies for the past three years, relentlessly seeking information on COVID-19, but it’s been nothing short of a wild goose chase. To prevent repeating past mistakes, it's crucial we fully comprehend the dangers of engaging in potentially hazardous bioresearch. This involves shining a spotlight on the gaping holes in oversight throughout the federal research processes and procedures," Paul noted.

Blaze Media's Steve Baker expressed support for the planned probe, writing in a post on X, "Sic 'em, @SenRandPaul !!"

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Dem Lawmakers Ducked And Dodged When Asked Why They Didn’t Pass A Border Bill When They Controlled Congress

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