engage with the idea that the number one cause of climate change is fossil fuel production and this surest way to reduce that is to reduce fossil fuel use. >> zack colman, thank you so much. welcome to today's washington journal. before we get to your calls we start with this article from cnn.com. it says that mike johnson is pursuing an impeachment inquiry regarding joe biden that he said would cause irreparable damage. when democrats sought to oust then-president donald trump four years ago, democrats were blasted for --. less than one year before the presidential election. the exact circumstances that johnson finds himself in now. mike johnson was today at the wall street journal ceo council summit and he explained what he

thought an impeachment inquiry was important. >> i am a constitutional law attorney and served on the impeachment defense teams twice. that is not ever an expertise i thought i would need to develop but i was on record hundreds of times lamenting that the democrats, and at that time, i think politicized impeachment. i think they did real damage to our system and the institutions in that process. next to a declaration of war, impeachment might be the heaviest that the white house has. it is given to the house and it is not something to be taken lightly. i think that the house, it is incumbent upon us, as was presented in this case, to investigate properly, slowly, deliberately, and not in a deliberate manner. we have a constitutional responsibility to do that in

the inquiry vote is the next step to fill that. it is not a political decision. it is a legal one and i made sure my colleagues know where i am on that. we don't prejudge but we need to know where we are. the white house has begun to -- and they are not allowing witnesses to testify. the house has to be at the apex of constitutional authority and the way to do that is tohave a floor vote and we willdo that next wednesday. >> that waspeaker mike johnson and we have a few facebook st diane says, i oppose congress not doing their job. why does congress have such a low approval rating? it's not difficult to figure out. and this, we will get to that later. meanwhile, iam sams was on

over the weekend and he was pushing for this . >> even fox news is expressing skepticism about this because we are pushing fax out every single day. when we share examples of somebody being a good dad, as nefarious evidence of wrongdoing, we are going to point out the facts. point out the facts. we are going to push really hard about what is happening here. what is happening is that the house republicans have shown that we don't really care about the issues that the american people are trying to make our lives better. they are focusing on political stones to try to get on newsmax and talk about things on the right wing media --. when you see the president ever

date talking about things like ukraine, you see him talking about the need to get funding to theprogram. these are things that the house needs to pass. they refused to do that and it is only going to get more intense over the next month. they are moving to a government shutdown in just a few weeks and they are going to leave town for the holidays without doing anything about it. >> we are getting your thoughts on that question. or are you supporting, opposing, or not sure about starting an impeachment inquiry into president joe biden. we are going to start with robin in montrose, virginia. good morning. >> good morning. >> what do you think?

>> i oppose it because it is based on his son and that what he has done. i think it is a waste of time. there is too much to do. i think it is focused on revenge. they put out sound information that has to do with biden and then, i will be all for it. i feel like if you have corruption like trump did or you had definite -- then, there should be an inquiry but there is nothing being put out. this is people talking. there is no proof. i am definitely a posted i feel like it is a waste of time. >> let's go to pflugerville, texas. good morning. >> good morning. how is it going? >> good. >> i agree with the impeachment

inquiry but i don't agree with what the republican administration is doing because i believe the hunter biden stuff is out there. but i feel like joe biden should have an impeachment inquiry because of his actions on continuing to support the trump administration actions on the border and the arming of the israeli government and things of that nature. thank you very much. >> this came in on facebook. don says eyes support. the biden family is more crooked than the snake river. and dog on facebook says, i support the fax. if they lead to it then so be it. brad is next in texas. good morning. >> good morning america. i think that this is a very important. the biden family has received

over $20 million from foreign agencies. there is dirt somewhere. the only way to legitimately do it is for the fbi and the cia to go in there but they aren't going to do it. they are going to protect him. the other problem is the mainstream media refuses to report the facts. they are trying to keep the border open and they are destroying america. thank you. >> this is another portion from the remarks by john at the wall street journal summit. this is some of what he says they have. >> at this point, where do you see the evidence? >> i just rotated off the judiciary committee. they have been doing the investigation and there are numbers that stick out to me.

at least $20 million floating into the biden family from foreign countries including russia and china. 22 times at least president biden either met with the or spoke on the phone with business associates of hunter and james biden. we know that 16 times he has changed his story about that. he has lied to the american people about his knowledge of the business dealings. this is compelling evidence and the more the bank records have come forward, as my friend jamie comber says, bank records don't lie. john adams says that facts are stubborn things. we have a responsibility to follow the facts wherever they lead and we are still in that process and we will see where it leads. >> we are taking your calls for this first hour. do you support or impose an inquiry. if you support the number is

202748 8000. if you are opposed, 202-748- 8001. if you are not sure, 202-748- 8002. here is a rollcall with that headline. johnson sets up impeachment for vote. mccarthy never set up a vote. speaker mike johnson is moving forward with the floor vote to formalize the impeachment probe of joe biden. a move that kevin mccarthy floated but did not make, it begs a simple and complex question. what changed? johnson has signaled that he and other gop leaders were confident that they would have ample republican votes on the floor to formally authorize the inquiry. he told reporters that, "the house has no choice but to approve an impeachment resolution and the accompanying

measure that sets up subpoena powers for the committees conducting the inquiry." those three committees are the oversight committee, the judicial committee, and we are actually going to have the house rules committee hearing and that will be on c-span.org. you can watch that on c-span.org and on our mobile video app, c- span now and that starts at 10:00 p.m. eastern town. back to the calls. elizabeth. >> i totally support this because the evidence is overwhelming. the evidence and hunter biden laptop alone, when he refers to the big guy. biden has said that he has no connection to his sons business dealings, which is totally laughable, if

you ask me. let's get back to what they did to trump. there was no evidence against trump but they impeached him on a whim. >> which impeachment? >> both of them. there are three years it was russia, russia, russia. and they didn't come up with anything. there is no evidence he did anything wrong. it is really mind-boggling the way politics are happening. >> let's talk to malcolm next in louisville, kentucky. >> good morning. my feelings on the issue are the following.

if biden did the things that he is accused of doing, bring the fax forward. i believe that biden is innocent . if they are true fox, bring them forward and present that information to the american public. that should be the end of it. >> okay. larry in florida, good morning. >> i support the inquiry starting with joe biden with a holding back billions of dollars. he followed the chinese balloon across the united states for six days. i don't think china would've allowed an american balloon to make it a way across the country. all of the bank records that have gotten into the biden family. thank you. >> and rhonda, new jersey.

good morning. rhonda? there you are. >> hello and good morning america. i definitely oppose the impeachment hearing against president biden for the simple fact, it's a distraction from the commissioners, who made $260 million while they were working in the white house. and the fact that jared kushner got $2 billion and entertained the salaries at the trump golf course. i know they gave them nuclear secrets on our country. these people are straight up autocrats and this country is in a whole lot of trouble. america, please wake up. this is a fascist movement to

take over our democracy and we will never get it back. so, we better take heed to what the holy spirit is revealing to america. we are going down with the ship and donald trump will become the richest man in history after all of the money they already hustled us out of. what about the 300% inflation on his properties in new york? you guys need to start watching the real news and get off fox because they have been sued for billions of dollars for brainwashing ma ga supporters. wake up you guys. >> rhonda in new jersey and this is the front page of new york times. it says hunter biden talks

indictments leave burisma out . >> i totally support this impeachment inquiry. so, remember to my democrat friends, sunlight is the best disinfectant. the reason for this inquiry is that the white house has been stonewalling releasing information to the committee. to the house oversight committee. so, if joe biden is so innocent, why are we hiding information and evidence? that's called evidence interference. and if it joe biden is so innocent you would think that joe biden would walk up to the podium and say i did nothing wrong. everything is fine and by the way, nancy pelosi impeached donald trump for a phone call, that we now realize because of

what is going on with burisma and the hunter biden activities there. so, if joe biden is so innocent, why doesn't he come forward and say i did not do anything wrong. let's talk about inflation. a report came out from the wall street journal that under trump the mortgage rate was 1700 and under biden it is now 300 per month. >> you said joe biden never said that he didn't do anything wrong. he has denied wrongdoing. >> so i have a question. has he laid out details? anyone can say they didn't do anything wrong. but has he laid out any facts or details? have a good day. >> and erwin from raleigh, north carolina. >> what i am frustrated about

is that over the last year, congress has not done anything and the only past 22 laws this year. second to the worst in history. the other thing is, the republicans need to find ground on the principle issues that american people want to talk about. i don't want to hear about impeachment. i want to hear what they have planned for america for the next four years. >> republican senator mitt romney was on meet the press on saturday talking about his opposition to an impeachment inquiry. >> have you seen any evidence that president biden has committed high crimes and misdemeanors. >> know. i don't see any evidence of that at all. i think before you begin an impeachment inquiry you need to have some evidence or inclination that there has been wrongdoing and the has been nothing provided. >> do you oppose the inquiry?

>> if there was evidence that suggested i high crime or misdemeanor yes but that hasn't happened. for most people that are not responsible for the misdeeds of her kids and grandkids. president biden has been a very unsavory person and has had some extremely damaging personal foibles including a drug habit. that is not presidpresident bid we are not going to impeach someone because of the sins of their kids. >> that was senator mitt romney. we are taking your calls until the top of the hour. kyle from indiana. >> i oppose it. i think this is a cover for trump and his malfeasance. i think the republicans will stick to the line.

i just think americans need to wake up and realize what direction we are headed. trump has been before congress and in the courts and he has lost on both fronts. we have a few holdouts that want to get in there but, they have already taken away rights. they have done so many things detrimental to this democracy. it is already on the verge of breaking. so committees are trying to level the playing field. i can't believe they claim to be christians and they claim to be righteous judges. wake up to all of the things that trump has done. he a woman and we are still covering for that. his kids have done all kinds of crazy things. let's look at his children. but he says hands off my kids. but look at the kids of his. his son-in-law.

his own sister says he is a criminal. >> george in montgomery, alabama. what do you think? >> i support it. >> why? >> i want the republicans to make a bigger fool of themselves like they have done the last year or so. they are ridiculous, dumb, and stupid. every last one of them. they change speakers every six months and they don't give a . they are a total disgrace. and you are supporting a clown like trump? you have got to be kidding me. jim jones was a better man than trump. >> i think that is a bit extreme george. let's take a look at this. this is the hill.com that breaks down all of the angles

for the house gop inquiry. here is burisma and the claim of a bribe . it goes on to hunter biden prosecution. if you would like to read that you can find that at thehill.com. selma in the bronx. >> good morning. i oppose this 100%. i stand behind joe biden. donald trump is a rapist. he is a rapist, a liar, a crew -- crook. we are all going to pay and

stand beside joe biden. impeachment? give me a break. they are crooks. jared kushner received $20 million and ivana received money. they are the crooked thieves. and donald trump raped a woman in new york city. he did that in a a department store in new york city. he is a crook and i oppose this impeachment. none of us care. we are going to stand behind joe biden.

none of us care about those crooked impeachment inquiry. get a life. >> sam in mississippi. >> i fully support the inquiry. first of all, he needs to be impeached just because of the open borders. that in itself is impeachable to me. the fact that his picture has been taken with hunter's associates and then he gets on tv and denies the fact that -- well, not denies but he talks about withholding money from burisma. i believe that's who it is, unless the prosecutor is fired because he is investigating this company that hunter was with. joe biden doesn't know where he is that from time to time and i'm sure he doesn't remember

things he has done in the past. but an inquiry does need to happen. the most important part is getting impeached for his policies. the lady from new york, does not know what is being talked about. some of these clowns from new jersey, this episode is about not trump. i am a ron desantis supporter but this question is about trump -- this is a question about biden i mean, not about trump thank you. >> so let's go to huntsville, alabama. >> just a 10 or 15 second history here. i was born in alabama, in a

coal mining town. and, we could not vote back in those days it just did not bother us. he joined an organization called the snitch. what i am saying now is that i want to generally comment. as far as impeachment and all of these kinds of activities, like i said, i grew up in a town where we could not vote at all. it just did not bother us

because we were poor. we did the best we could to survive. and so, i hope that america overcomes this kind of football mentality that we are in. the republicans and the democrats and then we just are always in competition trying to get rid of somebody or kill somebody. it is just getting worse and worse. i am not in favor of anybody being impeached but i do believe that justice will prevail ultimately and i think that is the main thing that we should fight for. one other comment. the open borders. they are only open to the poor. when the rich come over here with permission, the rich are

allowed to come over here and then they bring their people here illegally so that they can work with them and they won't complain because they are being kicked out. >> all right. >> anyway, thank you for allowing me to vent. >> peter in vancouver. hello. >> hello. what do you think? >> first of all, politics has always been a vile, nasty, and deceitful. unfortunately, americans have lost a lot of trust in our institutions and professions and scholars and executives. so on and so forth. i think we need to focus on

radar and bigger problems, determine what those are, and to me this is a frivolous waste of time. we need to get to the business of managing the government and the world. we are in a great place and joe biden has called the turbulent waters that have existed for 20 or 30 years and it is of course, getting worse but biden has done a very good job overall. yes he has made mistakes and maybe the border is out of control. but those are not our big issues. there you have it. i am opposed. >> all right. larry in philadelphia. >> yes, i would impeach biden in a heartbeat.

biting is supporting the killing of babies, children, elderly, women. i want to say something to democrats and republicans. become independent and try to save this country. because voting for these two parties -- we are not invited to . we are not invited to none of these parties. trump and biden have crime families. if we want to save the country we need to become independent and try to find as a candidate to get out of this. >> what do you mean that biden is in favor of killing women and the elderly? >> because he supports israel. israel is killing women and children. >> and you want him impeached for that? >> yes. >> when you say find a third party, is there someone you are

supporting for president? >> i would say cornell west. >> okay. kerry in illinois. good morning. >> good morning. what i am noticing here is that the problem is that some people don't understand. i oppose the impeachment because joe biden has not done anything wrong. donald trump, uv rays, lysol, didn't even want to tell people that covid was around. people want to vote for a man that is ruining this country. you got two to vote for. you vote for passes him -- fascism or democracy. if trump wounds you were going

to get fascism and the world is going to crumble. you are not going to have medicare or social security. than the guy from florida, ron desantis. doesn't even have insurance for their homes. >> we are going to leave this and go to capitol hill. law enforcement officials and advocates will testify about the rise of organized crime at retail stores. live coverage here on c-span three.