Washington, 12 September 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The Republican speaker of the United States' House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, said on Tuesday that Republicans would open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, pushing ahead with a plan that could eventually lead to Biden’s removal from office but has raised concerns with even some fellow Republican lawmakers.

McCarthy, speaking from the US Capitol, said the public deserved answers about the president's conduct and the actions of his family, including son Hunter Biden, that he alleged showed a culture of corruption.

“Today, I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden,” McCarthy said. “This logical next step will give our committees the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public.”

The plan to open a formal impeachment inquiry has drawn pushback from other Republicans lawmakers, including Representative Ken Buck of Colorado, who said that evidence linking Biden to any wrongdoing "doesn't exist."

"I do not make this decision lightly," said McCarthy, a congressman from California. "Regardless of your party or who you voted for, these facts should concern all Americans."

The full House would ultimately have to vote on whether to impeach Biden, a decision that, if successful, would send the case to the US Senate.

Two-thirds of senators would need to vote in favor of convicting the president to remove him from office, an unlikely feat in a legislative body controlled by Democrats.

Photo: MIA archive