Authorising the months-long inquiry ensures that the investigation extends well into 2024,when Biden will be running for reelection and seems likely to be squaring off against former president Donald Trump – who was twice impeached during his time in the White House.
An impeachment inquiry is not the same as impeachment but it is a step in the process that could lead to it. Trump has pushed his Republican allies in Congress to move swiftly on impeaching Biden,part of his broader calls for vengeance and retribution against his political enemies.
The decision to hold a vote on Thursday (AEDT) came as House Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team faced growing pressure to show progress in what has become a nearly year-long probe centred on the business dealings of Biden’s family members. While their investigation has raised ethical questions,no evidence has emerged that Biden acted corruptly or accepted bribes in his current role or previous office as vice president.
Ahead of the vote,Johnson called it “the next necessary step” and acknowledged there were “a lot of people who are frustrated this hasn’t moved faster”.
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In a recent statement,the White House called the whole process a “baseless fishing expedition” that Republicans are pursuing “despite the fact that members of their own party have admitted there is no evidence to support impeaching president Biden”.
House Democrats rose in opposition to the inquiry resolution.