What is the difference between impeachment inquiry and impeachment?

The House of Representatives has voted to formalize their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, three months after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy unilaterally launched the investigation. The 221-212 floor vote took place after Hunter Biden ignored the GOP investigators’ subpoena for him to testify in a closed-door deposition.

Republicans want to tie the legal troubles of Hunter Biden to his father the president. So will the impeachment inquiry result in an actual impeachment?

What is the difference between impeachment inquiry and impeachment?

Congress has the power to impeach federal officials for treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanors under the US Constitution. In order to move the process forward, the House must vote to approve articles of impeachment. If a simple majority of representatives vote in favor, the Senate holds a trial after which the official can be removed from office if a two-thirds majority of the upper chamber vote to convict.

Only three presidents have ever been impeached, Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Donald Trump twice, once in 2019 and again in 2021. None of them were convicted by the Senate; however, Trump’s second impeachment was the most bipartisan ever with seven Republicans joining Democrats in favor of convicting the 45th president for his role in the January 6th attack on the US Capitol.

An impeachment inquiry is a formal step that can precede a vote in the House on articles of impeachment. In the case of Trump, prior to his first impeachment in 2019, the House voted for an impeachment inquiry to investigate abuse of power when he tried to pressure Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden. However, a full impeachment inquiry was not held prior to the House voting on articles of impeachment in the final weeks of Trump’s presidency 2021.

The allegations against President Biden

Prosecutors have been probing Hunter Biden since 2019 recently reaching a plea deal agreement for him to plead guilty to tax and gun charges. However, that fell apart at the last minute this summer, and he is now facing nine new tax-related felony and misdemeanor charges.

Republicans have been alleging that the President’s son profited from peddling influence to foreign entities when Biden was Vice President. They also allege that Joe Biden himself profited as well from Hunter Biden’s alleged activities. The White House denies the charges leveled at the president.