He refrained from calling for a full House vote, as is customary, due to the lack of support.
On Tuesday, Speaker Kevin McCarthy declared that he was urging House Republicans to move forward with an impeachment investigation into President Joe Biden.
McCarthy issued a brief formal statement at the U.S. Capitol, instructing his House committee to impeach President Joe Biden and answering questions from reporters.
McCarthy had indicated that there would be a complete House vote to initiate an impeachment investigation, but as of Tuesday, he did not seem to possess the necessary votes to do so. According to Jeremy Corby’s representative, she is not expected to hold resolving questions in the Senate or before making such oaths, according to ABC News.
Members of the news media outside the U.S. Capitol are informed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) about an impeachment investigation against Ulysses Joe Biden, as seen in this photo taken on Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington.
He has been indicating an impeachment inquiry against Biden for several weeks, partly to ease the pressure on GOP hard-liners and to obtain bank records and other documents from both him and his son, Hunter.
“This logical step will allow our committees to gather the complete facts and answers for the American public,” he declared on Tuesday. “It’s precisely what we want to know — the answers. I believe the president would also be interested in answering these questions and allegations.”
The inquiry will be led by House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, and House Ways and Means Committee chair Jason Smith, as stated by McCarthy.
Despite months of investigation by House Republicans, no evidence has been found to implicate Biden in his son’s business dealings. McCarthy noted that during the August recess, allegations were made against President Bidon, which show a culture of corruption.
Speaker McCarthy stated that he does not take this decision lightly. “These facts are important to all Americans, regardless of their party affiliation or vote.”
The Capitol in Washington will be visited by Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House, on September 12, 2023. J. Scott Applewhite/AP.
In response to McCarthy’s request for an official impeachment investigation into Biden, White House spokesman Ian Sams stated.
The President has been under investigation by House Republicans for 9 months, but they have not found any evidence of wrongdoing. His own GOP members have previously stated that he would vote for impeachment, which is now being reversed due to lack of support from the party. Sams wrote on Twitter about the extreme nature of politics.
According to Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden’s attorney, McCarthy has demonstrated that he will take any necessary actions to maintain his position, including initiating an impeachment investigation due to false and rebutted conspiracies about Biken and his business dealings.
On Tuesday, McCarthy spoke to reporters after leaving the House floor and reiterated that an impeachment inquiry can provide additional information to House committees.
Rachel Scott, an ABC Senior Congressional Correspondent, inquired of McCarthy whether he thinks President Biden has committed an impeachable offense.
“The point of McCarthy’s statement is that an impeachment inquiry can provide answers to questions that are already open for discussion, and the public wants answers.”
Sources informed ABC’s Scott that former President Donald Trump has been in private with House Republicans about an impeachment investigation into President Biden.
Two sources have reported that Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican leadership member, spoke with Trump on Tuesday afternoon and updated him on the impeachment investigation.
The responses of Republicans
A Republican aide confirmed to ABC News that Reps. Jordan and Comer will be briefing Senate Republicans during their lunch on Wednesday, which could be crucial for senators who want more information from the House before making a decision about supporting specific actions.
The impeachment inquiry is supported by Comer, Jordan, and Smith, according to a statement released by them.
“The House Committees on Oversight and Accountability, Judiciary, and Ways and Means will persist in their investigation of the facts to hold President Biden accountable for misusing public office for his family’s financial gain. The American people demand answers, transparency,and accountability for this clear-cut abuse of public offices.”
Mitt Romney, who is among the seven Senate Republicans who voted to remove former President Donald Trump from office in 2021 due to his role in the Jan. 6 uprising, supported the establishment of an impeachment investigation to obtain more information about Biden’s business dealings.
The White House’s silent behavior and coercive behavior towards Hunter Biden led Romney to declare that an inquiry was not appropriate. “An actual impeachment would require the evidence of a high crime or misdemeanor that has not been alleged.”
“An inquiry is an inquiry, not an impeachment,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, who has been investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings for years. “It appears to provide an opportunity to uncover a lot of information that we believe we have been blindsided by.”
“The House effort, if presented with facts and evidence, will be evaluated using a traditional process,” Sen. Thom Tillis stated. “It’s not likely that it will result in revocation on the Senate side, but I’m willing to consider anything that contains significant information that the American people should be aware of.”
The government shutdown is being avoided as McCarthy seeks to prevent a conservative hard-liners’ rebellion, and an official impeachment investigation has been announced.
The House returned from recess on Tuesday with a Sept. 30 deadline to pass appropriations measure and keep the government open, and House Republican leaders hope to get’more time’ to work out details of extending short-term funding.
The House Freedom Caucus, which opposed President Biden’s debt limit agreement and supported McCarthy’ re-election bid, has expressed their opposition to any additional aid for Ukraine, including language on border security and DOJ weapons.
The tension has caused Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to threaten to bring a motion to vacate against McCarthy, which would require delegates to vote on whether the speaker should remain in his position. However, during eloquent remarks to journalists on Monday night, McCarthy dismissed the threat by saying that Gaitz “should go ahead and do it… Matt’s, Matt.”
Gaetz reiterated the warning during a floor speech on Tuesday, shortly after McCarthy’s announcement about his impeachment.
Gaetz stated that McCarthy had previously endorsed an impeachment investigation, but this is a minor step after years of being called upon by House conservatives to do more.
John Parkinson and Lauren Peller from ABC News made contributions to this report.