Now that the date has been set for the first impeachment inquiry hearing against President Joe Biden, House Republicans will launch a potentially lengthy process before any actual articles of impeachment are brought against the president.
The investigation will focus on allegations that Biden benefited financially from his son, Hunter Biden’s foreign business deals. But the probe has left Americans at home wondering: What’s the difference between an impeachment inquiry and other impeachment processes? Will Joe Biden be removed from office?
The House Oversight Committee, led by Reps. James Comer, R-Ky., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, will hold the initial inquiry hearing next Thursday, focusing “on (the) constitutional and legal questions surrounding the President’s involvement in corruption and abuse of public office,” Jessica Collins, spokesperson for the committee, told USA TODAY in a statement.
Here’s what you need to know about the impeachment process.
Has Biden been impeached?
No.
The current inquiry is a deeper investigation into the president, which follows ongoing efforts by House Republicans to uncover incriminating evidence. So far, investigators haven’t been able to provide concrete proof that shows the president personally benefited from his family’s business dealings.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said the inquiry will not necessarily lead to impeachment, calling it a “logical next step” to his party’s efforts so far.
What happens after the inquiry?
Following the investigation, which could take anywhere from a few months to over a year, the House Judiciary Committee will likely be tasked with drafting the articles of impeachment, or charges, against the president.
For Biden to be impeached, a House majority must vote to adopt the articles. After that, the charges would move to the Senate for an impeachment trial, presided over by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
If found guilty by the Senate, the president would be removed and unable to serve in office ever again.
Three presidents have been impeached in the nation’s history, former President Donald Trump twice, and none have been found guilty in the Senate.
Will Biden be impeached or removed from office?
It remains unclear if McCarthy and House Republicans will have enough votes to accomplish the majority needed to impeach Biden. Investigations to date have yet to find evidence of corruption or criminality by the president.
If House Republicans are successful in an impeachment vote, Biden will likely be saved in any ensuing trial by the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Did the House impeach Joe Biden? What’s next in an impeachment process
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