{"id":214346,"date":"2023-09-13T00:21:17","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T00:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestwnews.com\/?p=214346"},"modified":"2023-09-13T00:21:17","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T00:21:17","slug":"joe-bidens-impeachment-inquiry-what-happens-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestwnews.com\/world-news\/joe-bidens-impeachment-inquiry-what-happens-next\/","title":{"rendered":"Joe Biden's impeachment inquiry – what happens next"},"content":{"rendered":"
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has fired the starting gun on a monumental battle that could lead to Joe Biden becoming the first U.S. President removed from office – but there is still a long way for Republicans to go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By launching a formal impeachment inquiry McCarthy has increased the chance of Biden, his son Hunter and their associates, being dragged before Congress to answer questions about allegations of corrupt foreign business dealings.<\/p>\n
The Bidens could now have their bank records, mortgage details, emails, text messages and mobile phones subpoenaed, along with anything else Congress wants to see.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Such impeachment inquiries into a president have been extremely rare throughout U.S. history.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Wh<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>at is an impeachment inquiry?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n An impeachment inquiry can be launched by the Speaker, or by any member of Congress who secures a majority vote for it in the\u00a0House of Representatives.<\/p>\n In the Biden case several committees – Oversight, Judiciary and Ways and Means – have already been investigating allegations that he corruptly used the office of Vice President to help his son Hunter make money from deals in countries including China and Russia.<\/p>\n Their discoveries included that Biden repeatedly met with his son’s foreign business partners, and took him on Air Force Two trips.\u00a0<\/p>\n It contributed to McCarthy’s decision to announce a formal inquiry to pursue more evidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n The committees will now be able to hold hearings and call witnesses, who could include Hunter, his business partners, and even Joe Biden himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ultimately, the findings of the various investigating committees will be considered by the House Judiciary Committee.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What are articles of impeachment?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Judiciary Committee will prepare articles of impeachment, which are proposed charges based on the evidence.<\/p>\n The Republican-led Judiciary Committee will then vote on whether to adopt the articles.<\/p>\n If it does, then the articles will be sent to the House, which will debate them and then vote on whether the president should face a trial on the charges.<\/p>\n Only a simple majority of the House – where the Republicans outnumber Democrats 222 to 212 – is needed to proceed.<\/p>\n If the articles did pass the House then Biden would be officially ‘impeached’.\u00a0<\/p>\n The ensuing trial of President Joe Biden would be held in the Senate, presided over by the Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts.<\/p>\n The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict the President and remove him from office.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe and Hunter Biden are under investigation by committees in Congress<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kevin McCarthy took the historic step of announcing a formal impeachment inquiry<\/p>\n Has a President ever been successfully impeached?\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In the history of the United States so far, no President has been convicted in the Senate.<\/p>\n Donald Trump was impeached twice and acquitted both times in Senate trials.<\/p>\n Bill Clinton was impeached and acquitted on charges of perjury and obstruction relating to the Monica Lewinsky affair.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Richard Nixon resigned before he was impeached amid the Watergate scandal.<\/p>\n