A formal impeachment inquiry would give the House more investigative power to look into the Biden family than it has in its current probe.
ToplineKey Facts
There is no “explicit definition of what constitutes an impeachment investigation,” according to the Congressional Research Service, which prepares reports for Congress, so all that’s known about the inquiries is based on how they’ve been historically done.
Launching an impeachment inquiry—or impeachment investigation—is not a required step in the impeachment process, as it’s not outlined in the Constitution, but it’s usually the first step toward bringing articles of impeachment, according to the research group.
Inquiries typically start in the House, which has the sole power to initiate impeachment; the Senate has the sole power to try impeachments.
The House could skip an inquiry and file articles of impeachment directly with the House Judiciary Committee, but if it decides to launch an investigation—which is far more common—a resolution to “authorize an investigation as to whether grounds exist for the House to exercise its impeachment power” moves forward, the research service said.
Typically, an investigation is conducted by the Judiciary Committee, though it can be carried out by a special committee tasked with looking into whether an individual should be impeached, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service.
