House GOP approves Biden impeachment inquiry to seek evidence of wrongdoing

The House voted 221 to 212 on Wednesday to formally open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, "pushing forward with a yearlong GOP investigation that has failed to produce evidence of anything approaching high crimes or misdemeanors," The New York Times reported. Republicans are mostly trying to link Biden to the overseas business dealings of his son Hunter Biden.

The impeachment inquiry resolution, passed along party lines, doesn't accuse President Biden of any wrongdoing, but House Republicans say they need the imprimatur of an authorized impeachment investigation to enforce subpoenas and overcome other legal obstacles. Democrats denounced the vote as a political stunt designed to harm Biden in next year's presidential election and sate former President Donald Trump's calls for avenging his own two impeachments.

Republicans will decide as soon as January whether to file articles of impeachment. A handful of House Republicans have said they don't see any impeachment-worthy activity by the president.

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The House approved the inquiry after voting to allow whole milk in school lunches and to condemn a handful of university presidents over their testimony on antisemitism on campuses. "Instead of doing their job on the urgent work that needs to be done, they are choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt that even Republicans in Congress admit is not supported by facts," Biden said in a statement.

Hours before the impeachment inquiry vote, Hunter Biden made a surprise appearance outside the Capitol, underscoring his willingness to testify publicly before House impeachment investigators but not behind closed doors. House Republicans, who had subpoenaed him for a private deposition on Wednesday, said they will pursue contempt of Congress charges.

"I am here," Biden said. "Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not financially involved in my business." He acknowledged making bad decisions while addicted to drugs — he's fighting federal tax and gun charges from that time period. But House Republicans have "ridiculed my struggle with addiction; they belittled my recovery; and they have tried to dehumanize me — all to embarrass and damage my father," Biden added. "They have taken the light of my father's love for me and done their best to turn it into darkness."

President Biden, who still checks on Hunter regularly, is worried about how his last living son is holding up under the scrutiny and concerned he could even backslide into addiction, five aides and confidantes told Politico.