Investigation approved
US Republicans succeed in impeachment against Biden
December 14, 2023, 12:50 a.m
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A majority in the US House of Representatives votes in favor of an impeachment inquiry against the US President. The investigation itself is already underway, but is now on legally stable ground. Nevertheless, much more is needed for impeachment.
The US House of Representatives, controlled by the opposition Republicans, has formally approved the ongoing impeachment investigation against President Joe Biden. A corresponding resolution passed the Congressional Chamber with a majority of 221 to 212 votes. Republicans accuse Biden of being involved in his son Hunter’s controversial foreign dealings. The president rejects this and his Democrats accuse the Republicans of a political maneuver.
The then Republican chairman of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, had already ordered “a formal impeachment investigation” against Biden on September 12th. However, there was never a vote on this in the chamber’s plenary session.
The Republicans have now made up for this in order to put the ongoing investigation on a more legally stable footing – among other things with a view to possible legal disputes with regard to summoning witnesses and requesting documents. Republicans voted unanimously in favor of formalizing the ongoing investigation, while Democrats voted against it.
Further coordination required
A new majority in the House of Representatives would be necessary for a so-called impeachment of the President – in a sense, the indictment in an impeachment proceeding. That would lead to an impeachment trial in the Senate. A two-thirds majority in the Senate would then be required for actual impeachment. Biden’s impeachment is considered impossible, especially since his Democrats make up the majority in the Senate.
The Democrats see the Republicans’ actions as revenge by the conservative party for the two impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump during his presidency – and an attempt to politically damage Biden before the presidential election in November next year. Even numerous Republicans admit that there is no evidence of wrongdoing by Biden.
The Republicans accuse Hunter Biden of having in the past exploited his father’s important position as Barack Obama’s vice president (2009 to 2017) for business in Ukraine and China. They also accuse the current president of being involved in these transactions and of lying to the public.