The most senior Republican in the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, has announced the commencement of a formal impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden. McCarthy has stated that this inquiry will specifically delve into "accusations of misuse of authority, hindrance, and unethical conduct" on the part of President Biden.
Since assuming control of the House in January, Republicans have been engaged in an ongoing investigation into the actions of President Biden. To date, these hearings have failed to uncover any substantial evidence of wrongdoing or misconduct by Mr. Biden.
History of Impeachment
The House of Representatives has initiated impeachment proceedings on over 60 occasions. However, impeachment of federal officials resulted from less than one-third of these proceedings. This group comprises 15 federal judges, three presidents, a Cabinet secretary, and a U.S. senator.
Among the impeached persons, only eight, all of whom held the position of federal judges, were convicted and subsequently removed from office by the Senate.
On three occasions, the Senate went a step further by preventing impeached individuals from ever holding federal office again.
During the late 1700s, the impeachment trial of Senator William Blount from Tennessee set a precedent. This case established the notion that members of Congress did not fall under the category of "civil officers" as defined by the Constitution. Consequently, they could only be ousted from their positions through a two-thirds expulsion vote within their respective chambers.
Impeachment proceedings were initiated against three American presidents in the past. Andrew Johnson faced impeachment for dismissing his secretary of war. Bill Clinton's impeachment centered on charges of perjury and obstructing justice in an attempt to conceal his involvement with intern Monica Lewinsky. Donald Trump was impeached twice during his presidency, first for allegations of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his actions involving Ukrainian aid, and then a second time for incitement of insurrection.
