House Passes Resolution for Inquiry into President Biden amid Republican Unity

On Wednesday, the House voted to authorize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. This move witnessed unanimous support from the Republican members, despite some expressing doubts about the investigation’s current lack of evidence pointing to the President’s wrongdoing.

The vote, split along party lines at 221-212, signifies a unanimous Republican stance in favor of an impeachment process, which could lead to severe consequences for a president under the charges of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” as defined by the Constitution. Such charges, if proven, could result in removal from office following a Senate trial.

In response to the House Republicans’ move, President Biden released a rare statement, questioning their focus on pursuing an inquiry against him and his family, rather than addressing issues that would improve the lives of Americans.

Understanding President Biden’s Impeachment Inquiry
What it entails and future implications.

An impeachment inquiry is essentially an investigation into potential misconduct by federal officials, including the President.

The Republican-led House, since securing a majority, has been investigating President Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, alleging an influence-peddling scheme without providing concrete evidence.

However, an impeachment inquiry doesn’t automatically lead to impeachment. The Republicans are approaching this with caution, mindful of the political ramifications of the term “impeachment.”

For further details on what lies ahead for President Biden, [click here].

President Biden criticized the Republicans for focusing on baseless allegations rather than addressing urgent national issues, labeling the inquiry a wasteful political stunt lacking factual support.

This investigation, which will extend into 2024, coincides with Biden’s potential reelection campaign and a probable face-off with former President Donald Trump, who was impeached twice during his presidency. Trump has been a vocal advocate for Biden’s impeachment.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and his team, under increasing pressure to demonstrate progress in their nearly yearlong probe into the Biden family’s business dealings, have found ethical questions but no evidence of corruption or bribery involving the President in his current or former role as Vice President.

Speaker Johnson and his leadership team emphasized their impartial approach to the investigation, stating, “The evidentiary record is impossible to ignore.”

House Democrats uniformly opposed the inquiry, dismissing it as a politically motivated revenge tactic for Trump’s impeachments.

Representative Jim McGovern, D-Mass., during a floor debate, labeled the inquiry a politically motivated sideshow lacking credibility and integrity.

Some Republicans, especially from swing districts, were initially reluctant to vote on Biden’s impeachment, fearing political backlash. However, GOP leadership persuaded them that the resolution was merely a procedural step, not a definitive move toward impeachment.

Representative Tom Emmer, part of the GOP leadership, stressed that the inquiry was a fact-finding mission and that steps towards impeachment proceedings would only be considered upon finding evidence of serious offenses like treason or bribery.

The Republicans’ stance gained strength as the White House questioned the legitimacy of their information requests, citing the lack of a formal impeachment inquiry vote. This argument was further bolstered by a letter from a senior White House attorney, Richard Sauber, comparing the current investigation to the 2019 inquiry into Trump, which was deemed a “sham” by Johnson for lacking a House vote.

Representative Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., clarified that the vote was not about impeaching Biden but addressing the administration’s lack of cooperation.

Similarly, Representative Don Bacon, R-Neb., expressed support for the inquiry following the White House’s questioning of its legitimacy.

House Democrats remained united against the impeachment process, with Representative Jerry Nadler, the leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, asserting the lack of impeachable evidence against President Biden.

The White House and Democrats have defended the President’s cooperation with the investigation, which has yielded a substantial number of documents.

The investigation has also scrutinized Hunter Biden’s international business dealings and allegations of his father benefitting from them. Hunter Biden faces criminal charges in two states, but Democrats maintain that these are personal issues and that there is no evidence implicating the President in any wrongdoing.

Hunter Biden, defending his and his father’s integrity, opted for public testimony over a private deposition, criticizing Republican tactics and challenging the basis of their inquiry.

Republican lawmakers have signaled a move towards contempt of Congress proceedings against Hunter Biden for his non-compliance with a deposition request.

This comprehensive report includes contributions from Lindsay Whitehurst and Lisa Mascaro, covering Congress and major news developments.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Biden impeachment inquiry

More about Biden impeachment inquiry

• House Authorizes Biden Impeachment Inquiry
• Understanding the Biden Impeachment Process
• Political Repercussions of Biden’s Impeachment Inquiry
• Republicans Rally Behind Biden Inquiry
• Democrats Oppose Impeachment Inquiry
• Implications for 2024 Presidential Election
• House Vote on Presidential Misconduct