On Wednesday, the House of Representatives authorized an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden, as all Republicans rallied behind this politically charged process despite ongoing concerns among some party members that the inquiry has not produced evidence of unethical behavior by the president.
Questions About Republican Priorities
The party-line vote of 221-212 in favor of the impeachment inquiry places the entire Republican conference in a supportive position for a process that could result in the ultimate punishment for the president: removal for what the Constitution describes as “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which could lead to his ousting from office if convicted in a Senate trial.
In a rare statement regarding the impeachment efforts, Biden questioned Republican priorities in pursuing an investigation against him and his family.
Confirmation of the Ongoing Investigation
The confirmation of the months-long investigation ensures that the impeachment inquiry will continue into 2024, when Biden will be running for re-election and is likely to face former President Donald Trump – who was impeached twice during his time in the White House. Trump has urged his allies in the Republican party in Congress to move quickly on Biden’s impeachment as part of his broader calls for revenge against his political enemies.
Pressure to Show Progress in the Investigation
The decision to vote came after House Speaker Mike Johnson and his team faced increasing pressure to demonstrate progress in a nearly year-long investigation into business dealings of Biden’s family members. While ethical inquiries have raised questions, no evidence has emerged that Biden engaged in corrupt activities or accepted bribes while in his current position or in his previous role as vice president.
Democratic Opposition to the Impeachment Inquiry
Democrats stood united against the inquiry decision on Wednesday, viewing it as a political theater by the other party aimed at revenge for Trump’s two impeachments.
Representative Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, stated during a discussion in Congress: “This whole thing is an extreme political stunt. It lacks credibility, legitimacy, and integrity. It’s a sideshow.”
Republican Support for the Inquiry
Some Republicans in the House, especially those from politically divided districts, had been hesitant in recent weeks to vote on Biden’s impeachment out of concern for the political cost. However, party leaders have argued in recent weeks that the decision is merely a step in the process, not a decision to impeach Biden. This message seems to have convinced the skeptics.
Representative Tom Emmer, a member of the Republican leadership team, said at a press conference on Tuesday: “As we’ve said many times, voting in favor of an impeachment inquiry does not necessarily mean impeachment.”
Emmer added that Republicans “will continue to pursue the facts wherever they lead, and if they uncover evidence of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors, only then will the next steps towards impeachment be considered.”
The Inquiry’s Impact on Legal Standing
Most Republicans who had been hesitant to support the impeachment inquiry may have also been influenced by recent leadership arguments that confirming the inquiry would provide them with a better legal standing as the White House questions the legal and constitutional grounds for their requests for information.
In a letter last month from the White House’s top attorney to Republican committee leaders, the Republican investigation was described as overblown and illegitimate because the chamber had yet to mention an official impeachment inquiry with a vote from the entire House. Richard Supran, the president’s special counsel, also wrote that when Trump faced the prospect of impeachment by the Democratic Congress in 2019, Johnson said at that time that any inquiry without a vote of the House would be a “charade.”
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Rep. Dusty Johnson, the Republican from South Dakota, stated this week that in the absence of evidence to impeach the president, “that is not what will be voted on this week.”
He said, “We have had enough political impeachments in this country. I don’t like the roadblocks the administration has imposed, but listen, if we don’t have the receipts, this should be limited to what the council does long term.”
Democrats’ Stance
Democrats have remained united in their opposition to the impeachment process, viewing it as a stunt used by Republicans to distract from Trump and his legal troubles.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee who led both of Trump’s impeachment processes, stated: “You cannot start an impeachment process unless there is real evidence of crimes that can be substantiated.” He added, “There’s nothing here. Nothing.”
Democrats and the White House have repeatedly defended the president and his administration’s cooperation with the investigation thus far, stating that they have already provided a massive array of documents.
Congressional investigators have obtained nearly 40,000 pages of bank records subpoenaed under court order and several hours of testimony from key witnesses, including several senior officials from the Justice Department currently involved in the investigation of the president’s son, Hunter Biden.
Republicans’ Focus on Hunter Biden
While Republicans say their investigation ultimately focuses on the president himself, they have shown particular interest in Hunter Biden and his foreign business dealings, which they allege the president personally benefited from. Republicans have also focused a significant part of their investigation on the claims of an unknown witness about interference in the long-running Justice Department investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and gun use.
Hunter Biden currently faces criminal charges in two states from the special counsel’s investigation. He has been charged with gun-related offenses in Delaware, where he allegedly violated laws prohibiting gun possession by drug addicts in 2018, a time when he acknowledged struggling with addiction. The special counsel, David Weiss, brought additional charges last week, alleging that he failed to pay approximately $1.4 million in taxes over three years.
Democrats have acknowledged that Hunter Biden is not perfect, but he is a private citizen already being held accountable by the judicial system.
Hunter Biden made a rare public statement outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, saying he would not appear for the scheduled special questioning in the morning. The president’s son defended himself against years of Republican attacks and insisted that his father had no financial involvement in his business dealings.
His lawyer has offered for Biden to testify publicly, citing concerns about the potential manipulation of any private testimony by Republicans.
Biden said outside the Capitol: “Republicans do not want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, reveal their bogus investigation, or hear what I have to say. What are they afraid of? I am here.”
Republican members of Congress stated that due to Hunter Biden’s absence, they would initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against him. Rep. James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, told reporters on Wednesday, “He got himself into more trouble today.”
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