Republican plot to impeach Joe Biden moves one step closer after passing key hurdle

House Republicans have approved a resolution to formalize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden in a 221-212 party-line vote.

The vote on Wednesday occurred after the White House told the GOP-led congressional committees that its subpoenas were illegitimate without a formal House vote to authorize the inquiry.

All GOP representatives voted to formalize the inquiry on Wednesday.

Up until this point, House Republicans did not have enough support for a full vote amid their ongoing inquiry into Biden, which has struggled to uncover wrongdoing or provide evidence.

The vote comes as the president's son, Hunter Biden, defied Republicans' subpoena for a closed-door testimony on Wednesday.

READ MORE: Hunter Biden defies subpoena with Capitol speech - 'I've made mistakes'

Biden said in a statement in response to the House's vote: "They are choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt."

Wednesday's vote in support of an impeachment process could lead to the ultimate penalty for Biden - punishment for what the Constitution describes as “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which can lead to removal from office if convicted in a Senate trial.

Speaker Mike Johnson and his team said in a joint statement after the vote: "We do not take this responsibility lightly and will not prejudge the investigation’s outcome. But the evidentiary record is impossible to ignore."

Authorizing the monthslong inquiry ensures that the impeachment investigation extends well into 2024, when Biden will be running for reelection and seems likely to be squaring off against former President Donald Trump — who was twice impeached during his time in the White House.

Trump has pushed his GOP allies in Congress to move swiftly on impeaching Biden, as part of his calls for retribution against his political enemies.

The decision to hold a vote came as Johnson and his team faced growing pressure to show progress in what has become a nearly yearlong probe centered around the business dealings of Biden’s family members.

While their investigation has raised ethical questions, no evidence has emerged that Biden acted corruptly or accepted bribes in his current role or previous office as vice president.

Ahead of the vote, Johnson called it “the next necessary step” and acknowledged there are “a lot of people who are frustrated this hasn’t moved faster.“

In a recent statement, the White House called the whole process a “baseless fishing expedition” that Republicans are pushing ahead with “despite the fact that members of their own party have admitted there is no evidence to support impeaching President Biden.”

House Democrats rose in opposition to the inquiry resolution Wednesday.