Republican U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy initiated an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden on September 12, marking a move that propels Congress into a potentially contentious effort to remove the Democratic president, Reuters reported. This comes after two impeachments of former President Donald Trump.
The impeachment inquiry sets the stage for a series of hearings in the House of Representatives, which could potentially distract lawmakers from critical tasks such as avoiding a government shutdown. Additionally, it could intensify the 2024 presidential race, in which Donald Trump is aiming to avenge his 2020 election loss to President Biden.
Republicans, who currently hold a narrow majority in the House, have accused President Biden of profiting during his tenure as vice president from 2009 to 2017 through his son Hunter Biden's foreign business ventures. However, previous investigations in 2020 and ongoing efforts this year by House Republicans have failed to uncover concrete evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden.
McCarthy stated,
"We will go where the evidence takes us,"
emphasizing a commitment to a fair investigative process.
President Biden had previously ridiculed Republicans over the prospect of his impeachment, and the White House responded by asserting that there was no basis for such actions. White House spokesperson Ian Sams characterized the move as "extreme politics at its worst."
The impeachment inquiry will focus on Hunter Biden's business activities in Ukraine, a subject that Republicans have been investigating since taking control of the House this year. Trump's first impeachment, in 2019, was triggered by his requests to Ukraine to investigate the Bidens as he faced a re-election challenge from Joe Biden.
It is noteworthy that no U.S. president has ever been removed from office through impeachment, although it has become a more frequent procedure in recent years.
I am directing our House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Over the past several months, House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden’s conduct—a culture of corruption. https://t.co/3uoDlUB3Sy
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) September 12, 2023
Some members of McCarthy's party were dissatisfied with the previous impeachments of Trump, and a faction of hardline Republicans had threatened to remove McCarthy as House leader if he did not pursue an impeachment effort against Biden.
Republicans have been conducting investigations into Hunter Biden's business dealings for several years, and a federal prosecutor is also pursuing criminal tax and firearms charges against him. McCarthy asserted that Republicans had uncovered evidence of phone calls, money transfers, and other activities that collectively "paint a picture of a culture of corruption" within the Biden family, though he did not cite specific evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden himself.
McCarthy clarified that the purpose of the inquiry is to facilitate investigators in obtaining information rather than to pre-determine an outcome, stating,
"That's all we're doing. America needs the answers."
The inquiry will commence without a vote from the full House, which was a prerequisite before Trump's first impeachment. While such a vote is not obligatory, it can lend legitimacy to the proceedings. It remains uncertain whether McCarthy had garnered adequate support within his slim 222-212 majority to secure a successful vote.
Republican Senator Mitt Romney, known for his moderate stance within the party, expressed comfort with the inquiry, stating that the silence from the White House on Hunter Biden's issues suggests that an investigation is warranted.
Democrats denounced the impeachment inquiry as an attempt to divert attention from the Republicans' struggles in governing and from the legal challenges faced by Trump, who is seeking the 2024 presidential nomination to run against Biden.
Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal characterized the move as McCarthy's attempt to distract the public from the GOP's inability to pass government funding bills, which could potentially lead to a government shutdown if not addressed before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1.
Notably, some hardline Republicans have indicated that they would not vote for spending bills to fund the government without an impeachment inquiry.
An impeachment effort against President Biden is unlikely to succeed, even if the House votes to impeach him. In the Democratic-controlled Senate, a two-thirds majority vote is required for a conviction, which is improbable given the current political landscape.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer deemed the impeachment inquiry "absurd."
Former President Donald Trump is the only U.S. president to have been impeached twice. His first impeachment, in 2019, was related to requests for Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. In 2021, he was impeached on charges of inciting an insurrection following the U.S. Capitol attack by his supporters.
Aside from Trump, only two other presidents have been impeached: Bill Clinton in 1998 and Andrew Johnson in 1868. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before facing an impeachment vote.
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski remarked,
"The bar for impeachment seems to get lower and lower every year."
Public opinion polls have indicated that many Americans believe Hunter Biden received special treatment. An August Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that only 49% of respondents found it "believable" that Hunter Biden's legal issues were unrelated to his father's presidential service.
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