House opens impeachment inquiry into President Biden

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy ordered an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, he said Tuesday. House Republicans have been investigating Biden’s son, Hunter, and whether the older Biden participated in or profited from Hunter’s business dealings with his son. House Republicans also argue the Biden administration has obstructed investigations into the younger Biden’s business dealings. White House spokesman Ian Sams said Republicans have found no evidence of wrongdoing in nine months of investigating the president and called the inquiry “extreme politics at its worst.”

What does this impeachment inquiry mean? McCarthy is directing a committee to open the inquiry and gather information for possibly bringing articles of impeachment against Biden. If the House impeaches the president through a majority vote, it would then bring its evidence before the Senate, which would then serve as the court for Biden’s impeachment trial. McCarthy and other Republican leaders will gather behind closed doors this week to discuss the inquiry. House committee leaders are also expected to brief the Senate.

Dig deeper: Read Daniel R. Suhr’s column in WORLD Opinions about the politics of impeachment.