House formally approves Biden impeachment inquiry

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The House GOP on Wednesday formalized its impeachment inquiry into President Biden with a House vote, a step Republicans hope will add legal weight to their demands as the probe moves into a more aggressive end stage.

Lawmakers voted 221-212 along party lines to approve the resolution authorizing the inquiry.

Earlier in the day, Hunter Biden — the president’s son who is at the center of many of the lines of inquiry — defied a GOP subpoena to appear for a deposition on Wednesday morning. Republicans leading the probe said that his refusal “reinforces the need for a formal vote.”

The resolution makes official an inquiry into Biden that has been underway for months, after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in September said that various GOP probes into the president would be under the umbrella of impeachment — but did not hold an official vote.

The multi-pronged impeachment inquiry includes deep dives into the personal and business finances of Biden family members, as well as heaping scrutiny on a Justice Department probe into Hunter Biden’s failure to pay taxes.

But investigators have struggled to back the most salacious allegation, which was first pushed by former President Trump ahead of his own impeachment: That as vice president, Joe Biden took actions in Ukraine with the intention of benefitting his son’s business.

Approval of the resolution in the House GOP’s slim majority is notable given that pursuing impeachment could be politically risky, particularly for those in swing seats. But those Republicans, and other safe-seat colleagues, argue that voting to give a green light for further investigation is distinct from backing articles.

Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) had indicated he would oppose the resolution, but on Wednesday cast a vote in favor of it.

America’s self destruction continues apace.