The House of Representatives on Wednesday authorized an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
All Republicans supported the process despite lingering concerns among some that the probe has yet to produce evidence of any wrongdoing by the president.
The 221 votes in favor and 212 against confirmed that the entire Republican conference of the Lower House supports a process whose maximum penalty for a president would be impeachment if he is found guilty of what the Constitution establishes as “serious crimes and minor misdemeanors.” ” in a Senate trial.
President Biden was quick to respond to the vote: “Instead of doing something to help improve the lives of Americans, they are targeting me with lies. “Instead of doing their job on the emergencies that need to be done, they choose to waste time on unsupported political moves that even Republicans in Congress admit are not supported by facts,” Biden said in a statement from the White House.
The authorization of the probe, which will last for months, ensures that the impeachment inquiry will continue well into 2024, when Biden is campaigning for re-election and will likely face former President Donald Trump, who was impeached in twice during his tenure in the White House.
Trump has pressured his Republican Party allies in Congress to act quickly on Biden’s impeachment trial, as part of his calls for revenge against his political enemies.
The decision to hold a vote came as House Speaker Mike Johnson and his team faced increasing pressure to show progress in what has become a nearly year-long investigation focused on members’ businesses. from the Biden family.
Although the investigation has raised ethical questions, it has found no evidence that Biden acted corruptly or accepted bribes in his current or previous role as vice president.
