Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy ordered the House of Representatives to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden in mid-September over apparent influence peddling schemes by the Biden family.
The House Oversight Committee, led by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), is spearheading the initiative. Still, an official vote on the procedure has not been held so far.
It was unclear when GOP lawmakers would formalize their impeachment probe, given that they have not presented a "smoking gun" directly implicating Joe Biden yet.
Some observers have expressed doubts whether the Republicans would secure enough votes for the measure in the lower chamber: moderate GOP congressmen appear not to support Biden's impeachment investigation. Their votes would be critical, given the GOP’s slim majority in the House.
Still, on Wednesday, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) "teased a potential vote" during a closed-door Republican Conference meeting, the US press reports, citing several lawmakers present.
House Republicans need the formal vote to get more legal leverage during their inquiry. Earlier, the White House made it clear that it would not allow staff to participate in House panel hearings on the Bidens' financial dealings. In November, the GOP-led panel filed numerous subpoenas seeking to interview Biden family members, their business associates, as well as White House staff.
On November 28, Hunter Biden's lawyer signaled to lawmakers that the president's son was open to testifying publicly next month before the House Oversight Committee.
Insisting on "public hearings," Hunter's lawyer Abbe Lowell claimed that Republicans "use closed-door sessions to manipulate, even distort the facts and misinform the public."
"Mr. Biden will appear at such a public hearing on the date you noticed, December 13, or any date in December that we can arrange," Lowell wrote.
In response, Comer (R-Ky.) said in a Tuesday statement that the first son is expected to testify during a closed-door hearing on December 13, adding that the younger Biden would be allowed to deliver a testimony publicly at a later date.
"Hunter Biden is trying to play by his own rules instead of following the rules required of everyone else. That won't stand with House Republicans," Comer stated. "Our lawfully issued subpoena to Hunter Biden requires him to appear for a deposition on December 13."
GOP congressmen say that they have enough evidence proving that the Biden family capitalized on Joe Biden's name to get money and precious gifts in return for favors. The only problem is to prove whether the incumbent president personally cashed in on that money bonanza. There are indirect factors proving this, per Republican lawmakers. It is still unclear what article of impeachment they would bring forward ahead of the formal vote.