House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced that he is initiating an impeachment investigation against President Joe Biden, succumbing to increasing pressure from former President Donald Trump and his supporters, in what is emerging as a confrontation between Congress and the White House in an election year, reported WASHINGTON (AP) –.
McCarthy said in a statement on Tuesday that investigations into the Biden family have uncovered deeper demands for corruption in the House.
“These are accusations of misuse of authority, hindrance, and dishonesty,” McCarthy stated.
McCarthy said that he will direct the chairmen of the House Judiciary, Oversight, and Ways and Means committees. These committees have been working together for months on various probes related to the Biden family and have yet to directly connect any of it to the president. McCarthy stated that he will lead the inquiry into impeachment.
The White House referred to the endeavor as “radical politics at its lowest point.”
“Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House, stated that despite 9 months of investigations by House Republicans, no evidence of any wrongdoing by the President has been found. This fact has been acknowledged by members of his own party.”
Here’s a glimpse of what comes next as House Republicans move closer to potential impeachment charges against Biden:
An impeachment inquiry is a possible investigation into potential wrongdoing by officials such as judges, Cabinet members, or the President of the United States, as written in the Constitution, which is a process that Congress has the power to check on the executive branch.
While the House of Representatives wields the power to impeach a federal official, the Senate has the ability to remove and convict an individual from office.
To date, no president has ever been forced from the White House through impeachment, but Richard Nixon, the former Republican President, was preparing to take a vote on articles of impeachment in 1974 when he resigned.
WHY ARE REPUBLICANS PURSUING IT OPPOSED TO BIDEN?
Since January, the Republicans in the House majority have aggressively investigated Biden and his family, echoing allegations that Donald Trump, the former President, has made against them. They claim that Biden and his son engaged in an influence-peddling scheme without providing evidence.
In 2019, as part of the first impeachment of Trump, emerged the claim of bribery relating to the allegation that Biden pressured Ukraine to stop an investigation into the oil-and-gas company where Hunter Biden was on the board. Republicans have paid much attention to the unverified tip that alleged a bribery scheme involving Biden when he was vice president.
Democrats have reiterated that the Department of Justice investigated the claim that former business partner testified to the allegation of bribery and viewed the Ukrainian official’s firing as corrupt. They also pushed for other countries to further pursue the evidence, after finding the matter closed for eight months, stating that the claim of insufficient evidence was untrue when President Trump was investigating Burisma.
Despite the fact that three House committees have been actively pursuing the inquiry related to the president, they have also deeply investigated the Department of Justice’s investigation into Hunter Biden, the younger Biden, citing the testimony of a whistleblower. Hunter has utilized various methods, including using his “brand,” to advance his business with foreign clients, which has received special treatment.
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DOES THIS IMPLY THAT BIDEN WILL FACE IMPEACHMENT?
Republicans have been cautious in navigating the political ramifications and possibilities surrounding the impeachment of a president, despite the recent surge of inquiries that have unfolded in history. Definitely not.
The House would approve at least one charge of impeachment against him in order to impeach Biden. An impeachment inquiry can also be closed without charges being brought. The House requires a majority vote to approve at least one charge of impeachment against him in order to impeach Biden. An impeachment inquiry can also be closed without charges being brought.
McCarthy stated that it is necessary for Congress to use its full authority of oversight to ensure the investigation of the Biden family is pursued and an impeachment inquiry can be conducted.
Rep. Darrell Issa, a senior Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, recently informed reporters that impeachment serves as a means to indicate that this is not merely a legislative oversight, but rather an examination of potential misconduct. Issa, who is part of the panel responsible for investigating Biden, emphasized that it is crucial for everyone to comprehend that impeachment is not the ultimate objective.
Trump, who is leading a Republican field, has been impeached twice as the president running for reelection, and now faces a probe that could extend into the following year. Regardless, the inquiry will continue to cast a shadow over Biden.
What proof do they possess?
Acquired via legal orders to the Treasury Department and different financial establishments, House Republicans — under the guidance of Rep. James Comer, the head of the House Oversight Committee — have procured numerous documents of financial records from different individuals of the Biden family and their acquaintances.
Comer has repeatedly claimed that there is substantial evidence in those documents to draw a clear line between Hunter Biden’s trading on his father’s name and the policy decisions made by Vice President Biden, while no proven connection has been made.
Until a judge rejected the terms of that agreement, it seemed like the case was on track for a plea deal this summer, and the FBI and IRS have been conducting investigations into Hunter Biden for a number of years. In June, Comer initiated a broader investigation into the long-running Justice Department probe of Hunter Biden, collaborating with the Republican chairmen of the Judiciary and Ways and Means committees.
In 2018, the investigation was initially initiated, following testimony from two IRS agents in Congress, alleging that the Justice Department had unlawfully intervened in the investigation.
Last month, Attorney General Merrick Garland designated the prosecutor examining Hunter Biden as a special counsel, potentially prolonging the investigation.
How Will the Investigation into Impeachment Function?
McCarthy said he asked R-Mo Smith Jason, Chairman of the House Means and Ways Committee, and R-Ohio Jordan Jim, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, to take the lead in working on the impeachment inquiry.
While McCarthy had previously said the House would hold a vote to launch the inquiry, he made no such promise on Tuesday.
Previous presidential impeachments have been passed by resolutions authorizing them. However, the governing rules of the House do not require a vote to start an impeachment inquiry, as the Constitution does not demand it.
McCarthy does not have enough votes in the House to approve the impeachment resolution. Some House Republicans are opposed to launching an inquiry, stating that there is insufficient evidence against the President.
Once an impeachment inquiry is concluded, the House typically assigns the Judiciary Committee, which is authorized to present articles of impeachment, with the responsibility of conducting hearings and formulating impeachment charges.
What is the expected duration of the inquiry?
There are no set rules on how long an impeachment inquiry into Biden could last, depending on what McCarthy and Republican leadership believe is the right time to move or conclude the articles of impeachment. It could last as long as a year or as short as a few months.
The sole actual cutoff date would be the conclusion of this Congress, which falls on January 2, 2025.
What Occurs If Republicans Choose to Impeach?
If there is enough evidence of Biden’s power and wrongdoing, Republicans would decide to move forward the impeachment articles, which would then come to the House floor for a vote, where it would require a majority vote for Biden to be impeached.
Only three additional presidents have faced impeachment: Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Trump, who was impeached on two separate occasions.
The impeachment charges would then move to the Senate, where Democratic leaders would likely have no choice but to hold a trial.
If the Senate approves an article of impeachment with a two-thirds vote of “guilty,” the president will be convicted and removed from office. Conversely, if all the articles are rejected, the president will be acquitted. During this process, the chief justice of the Supreme Court presides over the proceedings. The impeachment managers, who are selected House members acting as senators acting as jurors, play a role similar to what is observed in the legal system during a trial.
Considering that Democrats hold a 52-48 majority, such a scenario appears unlikely. If Biden were to be found guilty by the Senate, he would become the inaugural president to be ousted from office.