In a significant political move, Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House, has directed House Republicans to commence a formal impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden.
According to ABCnews McCarthy made the announcement at the U.S. Capitol, opting not to take questions from the media.
For weeks, McCarthy had been hinting at the possibility of an impeachment inquiry against Biden. The Speaker's decision aims to appease GOP hard-liners and to obtain financial records and other documents related to Biden and his son, Hunter.
"This logical next step will give our committees the full power to gather the full facts and answers for the American public," McCarthy stated.
The inquiry will be spearheaded by James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Jason Smith, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
These committees have been investigating alleged connections between Biden and his son's business activities for months, although no concrete evidence against the President has been found so far.
Ian Sams, a White House spokesperson, criticized McCarthy's decision. He pointed out that House Republicans had been investigating Biden for nine months without finding any evidence of wrongdoing.
Sams accused McCarthy of flip-flopping on his earlier promise to hold a vote on opening an impeachment inquiry, attributing it to a lack of support within his own party.
The announcement comes at a time when McCarthy is facing internal challenges, including a potential revolt from conservative hard-liners and the looming deadline to pass a spending measure to prevent a government shutdown.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus have expressed their unwillingness to support a continuing resolution unless it includes specific language on border security and other issues.
"I do not make this decision lightly," McCarthy emphasized, adding that the allegations against Biden "paint a picture of a culture of corruption." He believes that regardless of political affiliations, these facts should concern all Americans.
