[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 631 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 631

Directing the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Oversight 
and Government Reform, and the Committee on Financial Services to begin 
  investigations regarding certain business dealings of Robert Hunter 
 Biden during the period in which Joseph R. Biden, Jr. served as Vice 
    President of the United States; whether those business dealings 
resulted in improper conflicts of interests; and whether Robert Hunter 
    Biden's work affected United States foreign policy or a foreign 
            government or foreign entity's response thereto.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 15, 2019

Mr. Byrne (for himself, Mr. Budd, Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania, 
   Mr. Hice of Georgia, Mr. Rouzer, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Harris, and Mr. 
 Gaetz) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                           Committee on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Directing the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Oversight 
and Government Reform, and the Committee on Financial Services to begin 
  investigations regarding certain business dealings of Robert Hunter 
 Biden during the period in which Joseph R. Biden, Jr. served as Vice 
    President of the United States; whether those business dealings 
resulted in improper conflicts of interests; and whether Robert Hunter 
    Biden's work affected United States foreign policy or a foreign 
            government or foreign entity's response thereto.

Whereas, from 2009 to 2017, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. served as Vice President of the 
        United States of America;
Whereas since at least 2001, Robert Hunter Biden, the son of Vice President 
        Joseph R. Biden, Jr., had engaged in work as a registered Federal 
        lobbyist;
Whereas immediately following the election of Joseph R. Biden, Jr. to the office 
        of Vice President, press reports indicate that Robert Hunter Biden 
        joined with Christopher Heinz, the stepson of then Senate Foreign 
        Affairs Committee Chairman John Kerry, and Devon Archer, a close Kerry 
        family confidant, to form a network of investment and consulting firms 
        with variations of the name ``Rosemont Seneca'';
Whereas press reports indicate that Rosemont Seneca pursued multiple, foreign 
        business investments ``where connections implied political influence and 
        protection'';
Whereas during the period in which Joseph R. Biden, Jr. served as Vice 
        President, the People's Republic of China was a significant concern of 
        United States foreign policy, including that country seeking to define 
        its relationship with the United States in light of the so-called Obama 
        Administration ``Pivot to Asia'';
Whereas press reports indicate during this period, entities associated with 
        Robert Hunter Biden and Rosemont Seneca engaged in multiple business 
        transactions requiring high-level connections in the People's Republic 
        of China;
Whereas, in December of 2013, Robert Hunter Biden accompanied Vice President 
        Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on Air Force II on an official visit to the 
        People's Republic of China;
Whereas press reports indicate that at the same time Robert Hunter Biden 
        accompanied Joseph R. Biden, Jr. to the People's Republic of China, 
        ``Rosemont Seneca Partners'' was finalizing the formation of a private 
        investment fund, BHR Partners, which was financially supported by the 
        Bank of China, China Development Bank Capital, and other major Chinese 
        financial institutions controlled by, owned by, or associated with the 
        government of the People's Republic of China;
Whereas Robert Hunter Biden's whereabouts during large portions of this official 
        visit are largely unknown but, by his admission, did include at least 
        one meeting with a Chinese banker who was a partner in BHR Partners;
Whereas press reports indicate that within 10 days of Robert Hunter Biden's 
        official trip to China, Rosemont Seneca Partners received necessary 
        Chinese licenses and closed the deal creating BHR Partners;
Whereas during the period in which Joseph R. Biden, Jr. served as Vice 
        President, Ukraine was a significant concern of United States foreign 
        policy, receiving substantial attention from the Obama Administration;
Whereas, in 2014, the Obama Administration was actively engaged in the support 
        of the Yatsenyuk government of Ukraine following the aftermath of the 
        Ukrainian revolution and Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. was 
        described as ``at the forefront'' of those efforts;
Whereas, in April of 2014, Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. specifically 
        traveled to Ukraine as an official envoy of the Obama Administration and 
        urged the Ukraine government to reduce its dependence on Russia for 
        supplies of natural gas and, according to press, reports offered United 
        States help in providing expertise on expanding Ukraine's domestic 
        natural gas production;
Whereas Burisma Holdings is the largest natural gas production company in 
        Ukraine and was positioned to greatly benefit from United States policy 
        pursued by Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.;
Whereas Burisma Holdings and its owner, oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky, have long 
        faced allegations of corruption and illegal activities;
Whereas, in April of 2014, the same month that Vice President Joseph R. Biden, 
        Jr. traveled to Ukraine, Robert Hunter Biden, joined the board of 
        Burisma Holdings;
Whereas press reports indicate that Burisma Holdings paid more than $3,400,000 
        to ``Rosemont Seneca Bohai LLC'' and that Robert Hunter Biden personally 
        received compensation of up to $50,000 per month in his role relating to 
        Burisma Holdings, despite having little to no experience that would be 
        relevant in the natural gas industry;
Whereas press reports indicate that Robert Hunter Biden's work with Burisma 
        Holdings allowed ``Burisma to create the perception that it was backed 
        by powerful Americans at a time when Ukraine was especially dependent on 
        aid and strategic backing from the United States and its allies'';
Whereas press reports indicate that Robert Hunter Biden's work for Burisma 
        Holdings during the period when Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. was 
        actively working on Ukrainian natural gas policy prompted concerns from 
        State Department and other Obama Administration officials and that such 
        concerns were communicated to Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.;
Whereas the Prosecutor General of Ukraine's duty under the Ukrainian political 
        system is among other things to prosecute on behalf of the state;
Whereas it appears that the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office had been 
        investigating Burisma Holdings and Mr. Zlochevsky in 2014;
Whereas, in 2014, facing criminal allegations of misconduct by the Ukrainian 
        Prosecutor General, press reports indicate that Mr. Zlochevsky fled 
        Ukraine;
Whereas by his own account, in 2016 Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. 
        threatened Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that the United States 
        would withhold $1,000,000,000 in United States loan guarantees if he did 
        not immediately fire Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin;
Whereas given the fragile state of the Ukrainian economy, withholding of United 
        States assistance likely would have sent Ukraine into insolvency;
Whereas by Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s own account, based upon 
        pressure applied by him, Shokin was fired;
Whereas the firing of Prosecutor General Shokin could have affected 
        investigations into Burisma Holdings;
Whereas Mr. Shokin has allegedly sworn under affidavit that ``I was forced out 
        because I was leading a wide-ranging corruption probe into Burisma 
        Holdings, a natural gas firm active in Ukraine and [Vice President] 
        Jo[seph] Biden's son, [Robert] Hunter Biden, was a member of the Board 
        of Directors'';
Whereas press reports indicate that Robert Hunter Biden's business partners 
        brought in Blue Star Strategies, a consulting firm run by Clinton 
        administration officials, to help fend off Ukrainian investigations of 
        Burisma Holdings;
Whereas press reports indicate a team from Blue Star Strategies and a former 
        Obama Justice Department lawyer held undisclosed meetings with Mr. 
        Shokin's successor, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko, in May of 2016, 
        shortly after he took office to replace Mr. Shokin;
Whereas within 10 months of Mr. Lutsenko's taking office, Burisma Holdings 
        reported that all legal proceedings and pending criminal allegations 
        against Burisma Holdings and Mr. Zlochevsky had been closed;
Whereas significant business dealings of Robert Hunter Biden and Rosemont Seneca 
        during the period in which Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. served as 
        Vice President likely remain unknown; and
Whereas known allegations relating to Robert Hunter Biden's work with Rosemont 
        Seneca entities during a time when Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. 
        was actively engaged in foreign policy decisions of the United States 
        raises serious concerns regarding conflicts of interest and potential 
        influence on United States foreign policy: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, that the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform, and the Committee on Financial 
Services are directed to begin immediate investigations, within the 
bounds of their respective jurisdictions, into--
            (1) whether Robert Hunter Biden's business dealings 
        relating to Rosemont Seneca were ethical and proper given Vice 
        President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s role in the foreign policy of 
        the United States of America;
            (2) whether Robert Hunter Biden's business dealings 
        relating to Rosemont Seneca resulted in improper conflicts of 
        interests for Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr; and
            (3) whether Robert Hunter Biden's business dealings 
        relating to Rosemont Seneca affected United States foreign 
        policy or a foreign government or foreign entity's response 
        thereto.
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