The chair of the Republican-led House Oversight Committee has requested White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor answer questions amid an investigation into his February report that said President Joe Biden is “healthy, vigorous" and "fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency,” which comes as leaders on both sides of the aisle question Biden’s mental fitness following a shaky debate performance.
U.S. President Joe Biden prepares to disembark Air Force One at Harrisburg International Airport on ... [+]
In a letter dated Sunday, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, told O'Connor the committee would be "investigating circumstances" surrounding the physician's most recent assessment of the president.
The physical exam, which took place in February, showed “no new concerns," O'Connor wrote, and said Biden had undergone “an extremely detailed neurologic exam” that found no causes of concern.
Comer questioned why O’Connor has not recommended the president take further cognitive tests and said the committee would be investigating whether the doctor is "in a position to provide accurate and independent reviews of the President’s fitness to serve."
O'Connor was asked to contact the committee by next Sunday, June 14, to schedule an interview with committee counsel.
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The letter also accused O'Connor of being influenced by "private business endeavors with the Biden family,” specifically questioning his work with the president’s brother, James Biden, and Americore Health, LLC. It called for the doctor to hand over “all documents and communications” he has relating to James Biden or the company.
The mental and physical fitness of Biden, 81, has been under heavy scrutiny since the opening moments of his debate against former President Donald Trump on June 27. Biden’s performance was full of stumbles as he struggled to convey his message and appeared confused much of the time. The day after the debate, the left-leaning New York Times editorial board called on Biden to step aside in an opinion piece titled "To Serve His Country, President Biden Should Leave the Race." Since then, Biden has faced calls from both sides of the aisle to step aside as the Democratic nominee and allow a new candidate to be named. A handful of sitting congressional Democrats have called on Biden to drop out of the race as have a number of Republicans. Despite the calls, Biden has vowed to keep running, admitting he “screwed up” on the debate stage but blaming his performance on exhaustion and an illness. In a highly anticipated Friday with ABC News, he called the debate a "bad episode." When asked whether he would take a neurological and cognitive test, Biden responded, “No one said I had to,” and then said: “every day I have that test.”
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Sunday told NBC News that it's up to Biden to decide whether he should be running for president again. He stopped short of calling on Biden to back out of the race, but said Vice President Kamala Harris could "very well could win overwhelmingly" and raised concerns about how Biden will fare against Trump in November.
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