As the federal government approaches a potentially crippling shutdown, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy directed a House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden’s family business dealings. The investigation, led by the House Oversight Committee, has uncovered a “culture of corruption” surrounding the Biden family, with Republicans focusing on the business dealings of President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, prior to his father’s presidency.
The impeachment inquiry is a historic move, with some even questioning its legitimacy given McCarthy’s past statements that a speaker needs a House vote to initiate such proceedings. The White House has dismissed the inquiry as “extreme politics at its worst,” pointing out that the House Republicans have found no evidence of wrongdoing despite nine months of investigation.
Meanwhile, the stakes are high as McCarthy navigates the precarious political terrain. The Republican leader faces pressure from his right flank to take action against Biden while struggling to pass legislation needed to avoid a federal government shutdown. The government funding is set to run out on September 30, and Congress must pass new funding bills or risk a shutdown and the interruption of government services.
Kevin McCarthy (Via Kevin McCarthy/Twitter)
The impeachment inquiry is seen as a move to revive the Republican Party’s fortunes ahead of the 2024 election, with some suggesting it is an attempt to blur the lines with former President Donald Trump’s potential comeback bid. However, the inquiry may not yield the expected results, as the House Republicans are still probing the business dealings of Hunter Biden without producing concrete evidence linking them to the president.
Democrats, on the other hand, are stepping up to fight against what they view as unfounded claims against Biden, insisting that the president was not involved in his son’s business dealings. The White House has repeatedly emphasized that the allegations are baseless and an attempt to politicize the investigation.
The inquiry is expected to provide more heft to the House investigation, especially as the Committee battles in court for access to Biden family financial records. However, with the government on the brink of shutdown and the political terrain increasingly volatile, the outcome of the impeachment inquiry remains uncertain.
