The U.S. House of Representatives is nearing a vote to activate an official investigation into the impeachment of President Joe Biden. This comes as Republicans rally behind this process despite ongoing concerns among some party members that the investigation has yet to produce evidence of unethical conduct by the president.
Impeachment Investigation of President Joe Biden
What does this mean and what will come next?
What is the impeachment investigation? It is an investigation into whether a government official, such as the President of the United States, or government ministers, or judges, has committed a serious offense.
Why are Republicans pursuing this against Biden? Since Republicans took the majority in the House of Representatives in January, they have aggressively investigated Biden and his son Hunter, claiming without evidence that they were involved in a scheme to sell influence.
Does this mean Biden will be impeached? Not necessarily. Although all investigations opened in recent history have led to presidential impeachment, Republicans have been avoiding using that term and its potential political implications.
Voting on the Investigation
By conducting the vote in session, the Speaker of the House, who has held the position for less than two months, will register his conference’s support for the impeachment process that could lead to the maximum penalty for the president: punishment for what the Constitution describes as “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which could lead to his removal from office if convicted in a Senate trial.
A successful vote will also ensure that the impeachment investigation continues into 2024 when Biden is expected to run for re-election and likely face former President Donald Trump – who was impeached twice during his presidency in the White House. Trump urged Republicans to move quickly to impeach Biden, as part of his broader calls for revenge and retribution against his political enemies.
Republican and Democratic Positions
Some Republican party members, particularly those from politically divided districts, have been reluctant to vote on Biden’s impeachment, fearing significant political costs. 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.
Rep. Tom Emmer, a member of the Republican leadership team, said at a press conference on Tuesday, “As we have said several times before, voting for the impeachment inquiry does not necessarily mean impeachment.”
Most Republicans who were hesitant to support the impeachment push have been convinced by recent leadership arguments that authorizing the inquiry would give them better legal footing while the White House continues to deny their requests for information.
Investigation into Hunter Biden
Although the Republican investigation ultimately focuses on the president himself, they have shown particular interest in Hunter Biden and his foreign business dealings, alleging that the president benefits personally from them. Republicans have also focused a significant part of the investigation on allegations from a whistleblower claiming interference in the long-running investigation by the Department of Justice into Hunter Biden’s taxes and his use of firearms.
Hunter Biden currently faces criminal charges in two states from a special counsel investigation. He is accused of firearm possession in Delaware, claiming he violated gun possession laws for drug users in 2018, a time when he acknowledged struggling with addiction. The special counsel David Weiss filed additional charges last week, claiming he failed to pay about $1.4 million in taxes over three years.
Democrats have acknowledged that Hunter Biden is not perfect and that he is a private citizen being held accountable by the judicial system.
Nevertheless, Republicans have summoned Hunter Biden to appear before the impeachment inquiry committee on Wednesday, the same day scheduled for the vote to authorize the investigation. His attorney has offered for the president’s son to attend and testify in a public setting, citing concerns that Republicans might manipulate any private testimony.
But
Republicans warned that if Hunter Biden does not attend, actions will be taken against him for contempt of Congress.
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