The House of Representatives of the US Congress has authorised impeachment proceedings against President Joe Biden.
All Republicans supported the political process, but some party members remained concerned that the investigation had not yet found evidence of illegal actions by the president.
In a 221-212 party-line vote, the entire conference of House Republicans formally declared their support for the impeachment process, which could lead to the ultimate penalty for the president: punishment for “high crimes and misdemeanours” that could constitutionally lead to removal from office if convicted in a Senate trial.
Biden, making a rare statement about the impeachment attempt, questioned House Republicans’ priorities in investigating him and his family. He said:
“Instead of doing anything to help make Americans’ lives better, they are focused on attacking me with lies.”
The authorisation of the months-long investigation ensures that the impeachment enquiry will drag on until 2024, when Biden will run for re-election and likely face former President Donald Trump, who was impeached twice during his time in the White House.
Trump is pushing his Republican allies in Congress to move quickly to pass a resolution to impeach Biden, part of his broader calls for revenge and retribution against his political enemies.
The decision to hold the vote comes as Speaker Mike Johnson and his team face mounting pressure to show progress in the nearly year-long investigation, which has focused on business dealings by members of Biden’s family.
While the investigation has raised ethical questions, no evidence has been found that Mr Biden acted corruptly or accepted bribes in his current role or in his previous role as vice president. Johnson and his leadership team said in a joint statement after the vote:
“We do not take this responsibility lightly and will not prejudge the investigation’s outcome. But the evidentiary record is impossible to ignore.”
On Wednesday, Democrats stood united against the investigative resolution, calling it a farce staged by those on the other side of the aisle to avenge Mr Trump’s two impeachments. Representative Jim McGovern (Democrat-Massachusetts) said during a floor debate:
“This whole thing is an extreme political stunt. It has no credibility, no legitimacy, and no integrity. It is a sideshow.”
