House lawmakers voted to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden on Wednesday, a move Republican congressional investigators say will allow them to gather more information related to the commander-in-chief’s alleged involvement in his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings.
The vote to formally authorize the investigation came three months and a day after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif,) ordered three GOP-led panels — the House Oversight, Judiciary and Ways and Means committees — to step up evidence gathering. efforts and make a case to the American public about whether or not Biden, 81, improperly used his position as Barack Obama’s vice president to enrich himself and his family.
What is an impeachment inquiry?
An impeachment inquiry is an investigation into possible misconduct by a federal official, such as the president, a member of the Cabinet or a judge.
The evidence-gathering process can include public hearings, depositions held in private and subpoenas issued to companies, government agencies and officials to obtain information and documents.
The Constitution gives the House of Representatives the sole authority to conduct investigations and decide whether or not to finally level the articles of impeachment against the officers being investigated.
House lawmakers have voted to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. AP
Why did House Republicans open an impeachment inquiry into Biden?
Several members of the House of Representatives argued that by formalizing the inquiry, the chairman of the three committees handling the investigation into Biden’s conduct would gain more power to compel interviews, obtain documents and further cases where the president improperly benefited from his son’s foreign deals.
GOP lawmakers have already issued multiple demands to executive branch agencies and the president’s son related to the investigation, but argue that the Biden and Hunter Biden administrations have so far done nothing but obstruct the investigation.
Earlier this month, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer told colleagues that his panel had received only 14 of the roughly 82,000 pages of Vice President Biden’s emails known to exist.
Comer also accused the president of repeatedly lying about his relationship with his brother’s business partners, as well as his family’s income from China, and said the White House did not comply with requests to interview various current and former officials.
Hunter Biden defied a House GOP subpoena requiring him to give investigators a private deposition on Wednesday, opting instead to hold a news conference outside the US Capitol and demand a public hearing.
This move now allows Republican congressional investigators to gather more information related to Biden’s alleged involvement in his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings. Getty Images
The White House has challenged many of the congressional requests, arguing that the full House must “authorize an impeachment inquiry before the committee can use the mandatory process pursuant to the impeachment authority.”
Supporters of formalizing the investigation said Wednesday’s floor vote strengthened their legal position against the White House and would make it easier to obtain subpoenas and witness testimony related to the investigation.
Does this mean Biden will be impeached?
Not necessarily, but recent history suggests that he will face dismissal.
House Democrats opened their impeachment inquiry into former President Donald Trump weeks after launching an investigation into his infamous phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The articles of impeachment against Trump were approved by the full House less than three months after the investigation was inaugurated.
The evidence-gathering process can include public hearings, depositions held in private and subpoenas issued to companies, government agencies and officials to obtain information and documents. AP
Democrats did not conduct a formal investigation before voting to impeach Trump for a second time, in the final days of his presidency, over his alleged role in the January 6, 2021, riots at the US Capitol.
The impeachment inquiry into former President Bill Clinton, stemming from a sexual harassment lawsuit, was officially authorized in October 1998 and led to articles of impeachment for obstruction of justice and perjury being passed in December of that year.
The impeachment trial was conducted in the Senate and presided over by the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
How long will the investigation take?
There are no set rules about how long an impeachment inquiry can or must last.
The only real deadline is January 3, 2025, when the 118th Congress ends its last legislative session.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
