The House voted Wednesday to formally authorize the impeachment inquiry into President Biden—a step designed to give the investigators a legal leg up. NBC News reports House Republicans expect it will give them the "ability to better enforce their subpoenas in the courts." Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said as much to reporters Tuesday, explaining, "We think a formal vote of the majority of the House, on record, for a power that solely resides with the House—that helps us if, in fact, we've got to go to court." House Speaker Mike Johnson framed it similarly, per Politico: "We're not making a political decision. It's a legal decision."
Indeed, CNN notes the White House conveyed to the GOP-led congressional committees that are leading the investigation into Biden's alleged involvement in son Hunter Biden's business dealings that its subpoenas were illegitimate in the absence of a House vote to greenlight the inquiry. The vote came hours after Hunter Biden defied a subpoena from House Republicans to give a closed-door deposition. He instead appeared at the Capitol and told reporters he would only consent to testifying in a public setting. The vote was along party lines, 221-212.
The AP laid out the implications of the impeachment inquiry vote, saying Johnson and his leadership team have been under increasing pressure "to show progress in what has become a nearly yearlong probe centered around the business dealings of Biden's family members. While their investigation has raised ethical questions, no evidence has emerged that Biden acted corruptly or accepted bribes in his current role or previous office as vice president." With Wednesday's vote, the impeachment investigation gained enough steam to spill well into 2024 "when Biden will be running for reelection and seems likely to be squaring off against former President Trump," per the AP. (More Biden impeachment stories.)
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