House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced on Tuesday the House will initiate an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden in a move to obtain records and other documents from the president and his son, Hunter Biden, relating to foreign business deals.
After months of intraparty rifts between conservatives and centrist GOP members who are unclear if there is a basis for an investigation, Republican-led committees will now open an inquiry.
MCCARTHY ANNOUNCES IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY INTO PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN
What is an impeachment inquiry?
Before members vote on articles of impeachment against Joe Biden, the House will conduct an impeachment inquiry that will be led by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) in coordination with Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO).
While an impeachment inquiry is not required to file articles of impeachment against the president or another U.S. official, the initial step will empower Comer and the other committee leaders to continue investigations into the Biden family they have already opened.
“This logical next step will give our committees the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public,” McCarthy said.
Impeachment proceedings can be initiated by any member of the House of Representatives, and several House members have already filed articles of impeachment against Joe Biden, though none of them have been voted on.
Does the House have to vote on holding an impeachment inquiry?
While the floor vote on whether or not to open the inquiries is not constitutionally required, McCarthy confirmed earlier this month that he wouldn’t move forward without a floor vote, saying “it would occur through a vote on the floor of the People’s House and not through a declaration by one person.”
The only time the vote on the inquiry was skipped was during former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, although he was acquitted in the Senate for both his impeachments.
What happens next?
Following the inquiry, the House will vote on each article of impeachment, and a majority vote of the entire House is required to pass each article. House Republicans will need 218 votes to impeach Biden, but it remains unclear whether or not the party can come together to push the impeachment through to the Senate.
The Constitution states Congress can impeach federal officials and the president for treason, bribery, and “other high crimes and misdemeanors.”
The Republican-controlled House holds a slim majority with a 222-212 vote margin, but if any articles of impeachment are passed by the House, the Senate will then hold an impeachment trial. A two-thirds majority vote is required to convict on any article of impeachment.
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While it’s likely any impeachment effort of Joe Biden will fail in the Democratic-controlled Senate, the president would be removed and barred from holding any federal office in the future if he is convicted in the Senate trial.
The House has initiated impeachment proceedings more than 60 times, and multiple presidents have heard demands for their impeachment, but only three presidents have ever been impeached by Congress.
