US House Republicans say Biden committed impeachable offenses

WASHINGTON: US House Republicans on Monday released a report alleging Democratic President Joe Biden committed impeachable offenses, but it was unclear whether they would push for a vote after an investigation the White House rejects here and time as politically motivated.

A 291-page report by three House committees alleged that Biden benefited from an influence scheme to enrich himself and family members through foreign business dealings beginning in 2014, when Biden was vice president.

“The committees present this information to the House of Representatives for evaluation and consideration of appropriate next steps,” the report states.

It was unclear whether House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson would schedule a vote to impeach Biden in the weeks before the Nov. 5 election, in which Republican Donald Trump is locked in a tight battle with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Even if the Republican-controlled House passes such a measure, it would be unlikely to remove Biden from office, given that he would need to be convicted by a Senate controlled 51-49 by his own Democratic Party. Biden, who withdrew his bid for re-election last month, is set to leave office when his successor is sworn in on January 20.

Democrats have dismissed the effort as retaliation against Trump, who has been impeached twice by a Democratic-controlled House and acquitted each time by the Senate. The first indictment alleged that Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to help smear Biden in exchange for American aid.

A House impeachment against Biden’s top border official, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mallorca, was quickly put to rest by the Senate in April.

Johnson, in a statement, praised the committees’ work and said House Republicans “encourage all Americans to read this report.”

House investigators say Biden used his influence to benefit his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings with partners from Ukraine, China, Russia and other countries.

Hunter Biden has been convicted of lying about illegal drug use to buy a gun and is awaiting trial on tax evasion charges, including an allegation he accepted payments from a Romanian businessman who tried to influence US government agencies in connection with a criminal investigation in Romania.

The impeachment inquiry, which lawmakers formally approved last December and is being conducted by the House Oversight, Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees, has been criticized by members of both parties for failing to produce conclusive evidence of wrongdoing by Biden.