The GOP majority is razor thin. It can only afford to lose two members on any party-line vote. There are 18 House Republicans from districts won by President Biden in 2020. Asking them to vote to hold the president’s son in contempt would be a heavy lift in any event, but expecting them to do it when he’s saying he’d honor a new subpoena is a huge ask. In addition, even if the GOP hangs together and holds the younger Biden in contempt, Lowell is bolstering the record on which the Biden Justice Department could (and would) justify declining to prosecute Hunter – if Republicans can get a contempt over the goal line.

Indeed, if instead of moving forward with contempt, the Republican-led committees were to issue a new subpoena, they, not Hunter, would be seen as backing down. That said, I still think that’s the GOP’s best option.

[Why is a new subpoena necessary, *except* as a delaying tactic? But why bother at all when Merrick Garland’s DoJ will almost certainly refuse to enforce a contempt citation? Perhaps Lowell is concerned that Garland might choose otherwise, but I think this is just more stunt work. And it might inadvertently help Speaker Mike Johnson in unifying his caucus, at least to some extent. — Ed]