US Republicans succeed in impeachment push against Biden
A majority in the US House of Representatives votes in favor of an investigation into the impeachment of the US President. The investigation itself is already underway, but is now on a legally stable footing. Nevertheless, much more is needed for an impeachment.
The US House of Representatives, which is controlled by the opposition Republicans, has formally approved the ongoing investigation into the impeachment of President Joe Biden. A corresponding resolution passed the chamber of Congress with a majority of 221 to 212 votes. The Republicans accuse Biden of being involved in controversial foreign business dealings of his son Hunter. The President rejects this, while his Democrats accuse the Republicans of political maneuvering.
The then Republican Chairman of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, had already ordered "a formal impeachment investigation" against Biden on September 12. However, there was never a vote on this in the plenary session of the chamber.
The Republicans have now made up for this in order to put the ongoing investigation on a more stable legal footing - among other things with a view to possible legal disputes regarding the subpoenaing of witnesses and the requesting of documents. The Republicans voted unanimously in favour of formalizing the ongoing investigation, while the Democrats voted against.
Further vote necessary
A new majority in the House of Representatives would be required for a so-called impeachment of the President - in a sense, the impeachment in impeachment proceedings. This would lead to an impeachment process in the Senate. A two-thirds majority in the Senate would then be required for an actual impeachment. Biden's impeachment is considered impossible, especially as his Democrats hold 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 damage Biden politically ahead of the presidential election in November next year. Even numerous Republicans concede that there is no evidence of any misconduct by Biden.
The Republicans accuse Hunter Biden of having exploited his father's important position as Barack Obama's Vice President (2009 to 2017) for business deals in Ukraine and China in the past. They also accuse the current president of being involved in these deals and of having lied to the public.
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Following the House's approval, Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy formally initiated an impeachment investigation into President Joe Biden's alleged involvement in his son's business dealings. Despite Democratic opposition, the Republicans voted unanimously to give the ongoing investigation a more legally stable footing, potentially setting the stage for future legal disputes.
In order for an actual impeachment of President Biden to occur, the Republicans would need to gain a majority in the House of Representatives, followed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate. However, given the Democratic majority in the Senate, this seems unlikely.
Source: www.ntv.de
