Speaker Kevin McCarthy declared on Tuesday that he has asked the US House to initiate an impeachment probe on President Joe Biden over his family business dealings in an unprecedented move ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The decision comes as Republicans increase pressure on McCarthy to proceed with the inquiry — including some on his extreme right who have threatened to depose him as speaker if he does not act swiftly on such an investigation.
McCarthy’s Decision
McCarthy, a Republican from California, stated at the Capitol that he had ordered the House, headed by the Oversight Committee, “to open a formal impeachment inquiry.”
“These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives,” he asserted.
Furthermore, McCarthy claimed that House investigations so far “paint a picture of a culture of corruption” around the Biden family, as Republicans look into the president’s son, Hunter Biden’s business connections before the Democrat president took office.
House Republican McCarthy told reporters at a press conference that an impeachment probe is the “logical next step” in the GOP-led investigations that have been going on for months.
“This logical next step will give our committees the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public,” which he said “is exactly what we want to know — the answers.”
Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., will be in charge of the investigation in cooperation with Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., as announced by McCarthy.
McCarthy is initiating the investigation without a House vote, and it is uncertain if he will have enough backing from his Republican majority. Reports suggest that some MPs have dismissed the evidence as not meeting the constitutional standard of “high crimes and misdemeanours.”
Allegations on Biden
Republicans, who currently control the House by a narrow margin, have accused Biden of benefitting from his son Hunter Biden’s international business activities while serving as vice president from 2009 to 2017. However, a 2020 Senate probe and six months of research by House Republicans this year have turned up no proof of Biden’s wrongdoing.
Furthermore, Republicans argue that the Justice Department has not thoroughly investigated the claims against Hunter Biden, and that he received preferential treatment.
The House Oversight Committee said in an early August memorandum that evidence indicated the Biden family and their business associates had received more than $20 million in payments from foreign sources in nations such as China, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Russia, and Romania.
Republicans have also focused on an unverified report to the FBI, which indicated that Joe Biden persuaded Ukraine’s government to dismiss a top senior prosecutor to end an inquiry into Ukrainian energy business Burisma, wherein Hunter Biden was on the board.
Consequently, during the former US President Trump’s administration, the Justice Department examined the claim for eight months before dismissing it owing to “insufficient evidence.”
Biden’s Increasing Popularity
The three-day poll, which concluded on Sunday, indicated an increase in Biden’s popularity from last month, with 40% of respondents saying they approved of his work since he assumed office in January 2021.
Biden’s public popularity rating increased this month to 42%, the highest level since March, bolstered by support from members of his Democratic Party.
House Speaker McCarthy Orders Impeachment Probe Against US Pres. Biden Amid Pressure from Republicans
McCarthy claimed House investigations so far “paint a picture of a culture of corruption” around the Biden family, as Republicans look into the president’s son, Hunter Biden’s business connections.
September 13, 2023
IMAGE SOURCE: Getty ImagesHouse Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) initiates an impeachment inquiry on US President Joe Biden.