House Republicans have continued to pursue an impeachment inquiry against President Biden, even though their year-long investigation hasn’t turned up any direct evidence that Biden profited from his son’s foreign business deals as they allege.
House Republicans started an impeachment inquiry in September, and they have now formalized it with an official floor vote Wednesday. Legal experts say the vote doesn’t change much; it’s more of a symbolic show of unity among Republicans.
WHAT HOUSE REPUBLICANS ARE INVESTIGATING
Republicans have not said yet what alleged high crimes and misdemeanors they would try to impeach Biden for – or whether they even have the votes to do it. Their investigation is almost entirely focused on his son Hunter Biden, who Republicans allege tried to leverage his family name to benefit his business deals. Three Republican-led congressional committees have spent nearly a year investigating whether the president benefited from his son’s business deals. So far they haven’t found any evidence that Biden benefited. But Republicans claim there is more to uncover.
WHY HOUSE REPUBLICANS ARE DOING THIS NOW
House Republicans say they needed to formalize the impeachment inquiry with a vote because it gives them stronger legal footing if they go to court or try to compel someone with a subpoena.
But impeachment, of course, is an inherently political process. Republicans just elected a hard-right House speaker in Mike Johnson. Former president Donald Trump keeps urging Republicans to impeach Biden. And it’s almost an election year, with polls a year out suggesting that Trump could beat Biden.
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