US House Speaker Orders Impeachment Inquiry on Biden...White House Pushes Back

Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House and a member of the U.S. Republican Party, on the 12th (local time) ordered the official launch of an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden.

At a congressional press conference that day, Speaker McCarthy stated, "There are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction, and corruption," adding, "Therefore, today I am directing the House to begin an official impeachment inquiry into President Biden." An impeachment inquiry is an investigation conducted with the possibility of pursuing impeachment in mind. However, it is not a constitutional procedure that must be followed to pursue impeachment. The related investigation will be conducted by the House Oversight Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Ways and Means Committee. Speaker McCarthy also urged the President and the White House to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry.

Impeachment of a U.S. president proceeds in the order of the House passing articles of impeachment and the Senate conducting an impeachment trial. Speaker McCarthy has long argued that an impeachment inquiry is necessary to investigate allegations related to Hunter Biden, the President’s second son.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the same day, Speaker McCarthy claimed, "President Biden lied to the American people about what he knows regarding his family's overseas business dealings." He added, "Americans have the right to know that public office is not for sale and that the federal government is not used to cover up the actions of politically influential families."

He also confirmed in a post on the social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter) that day, "Over the past few months, House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations about President Biden’s conduct, specifically a culture of corruption," and that he has directed the relevant House committees accordingly.

The White House immediately pushed back. Ian Sams, White House Deputy Press Secretary for Oversight and Investigations, wrote on X, "House Republicans have been investigating the President for nine months and have found no evidence of wrongdoing," strongly criticizing it as "the worst kind of extreme politics."

Currently, the U.S. House of Representatives is controlled by the Republican majority, so if the Republicans lead the submission of articles of impeachment against President Biden, it could pass without defections. However, CNN reported that voices criticizing the public push for an impeachment inquiry have emerged within the Republican Party, revealing internal divisions. It is explained that this could backfire politically and actually benefit President Biden. Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito pointed out, "I have not seen compelling evidence that we should move forward." Even if the articles of impeachment pass the House, it is unlikely they will be approved in the Senate, where the Democrats hold the majority.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.