The House GOP's report on Biden: What the math reveals about impeachment

"Impeachable conduct."

"The extent of the corrupt behavior exposed by the Committees is alarming."

"An attempt to hide President Biden's role in the family's influence trading operation."

The House committees, led by Republicans, have released their final report on President Biden's conduct. This report is the culmination of the GOP's impeachment inquiry into Mr. Biden, initiated by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in an attempt to quell an uprising from his right flank. The House formally authorized the investigation through a roll call vote in December.

Many Republicans wanted the impeachment investigation to be completed before the 2024 election, not a few months before it.

According to Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Republicans have worked to hinder any investigation into Mr. Trump's actual and proven corruption, including his unconstitutional receipt of millions of dollars from foreign governments while serving as Commander-in-Chief.

The House Republicans made public their 292-page report just before the president was set to address the Democratic convention in Chicago.

The document contends that Mr. Biden's behavior merited sanctions, as his "obvious misuse of power" led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives and subsequent removal by the Senate.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., urged all Americans to read the report, but he did not indicate whether there would be a vote on impeachment or suggest that the House Republican leadership would consider such an option.

It is unlikely that a vote to impeach President Biden would succeed in the House.

A senior House GOP leadership source characterized a vote on impeachment as "moot" because at least a dozen House Republicans oppose it.

The impeachment process against President Biden has been met with opposition from Republicans, who feel that their efforts to remove him from office have been thwarted by his decision not to seek reelection. With only five months left in his term, a vote on impeachment would put moderate Republicans in a difficult position, as they try to maintain their slim majority. A failed impeachment vote could be used by Democrats to attack vulnerable Republicans, highlighting the GOP's inability to remove President Biden from office despite their efforts. The failed impeachment vote would also underscore how Republicans tried to impeach President Biden for over a year, ultimately resulting in a loss on the floor.

An unforced error for the GOP would occur if the impeachment vote was botched, which would undermine their own report.

Republicans should not focus on President Biden's issues, as they should be old news to them. However, the GOP needs to spend its time on anything tied to impeachment, as it steals the spotlight from the narrative they are trying to craft about Vice President Harris. Republicans are still trying to define Harris, and backpedaling to President Biden diminishes that strategy.

To impeach the president according to the rules, House Republicans would need to hold another public hearing and a markup session by the Judiciary Committee before bringing it to the House floor.

The House Rules Committee would consider the measure before it goes to the floor for debate and vote.

Could the GOP potentially impeach President Biden?

Earlier this year, the House impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on two charges: violating the law and betraying the public trust.

In 2021, the House impeached former President Trump for "incitement of insurrection" following the Capitol riot.

In 1998, the House Judiciary Committee drafted four impeachment charges against former President Clinton due to his affair with Monica Lewinsky. However, the House only endorsed two charges, perjury and obstruction of justice. The other charges were not supported.

The impeachment report will be read and considered by House Republicans during the congressional recess, and there may be internal debate when they meet in a GOP Conference on September 10.

Despite House Republican leaders' opposition to impeachment, there is a possibility that hardline conservatives may attempt to force a vote on the floor. According to Planet Chronicle, Republican leaders are preparing for this possibility when the House returns. A rank-and-file Republican member could compel a vote on impeachment via a "privileged" resolution, which must be brought to the floor immediately or within two legislative days. Democrats would likely move to table or kill the resolution, placing Republicans in a difficult position. They would have to choose between voting against tabling the resolution to bring it to the floor or voting to kill it.

One senior House Democratic source speculated to Fox that since it was unlikely the House could impeach President Biden, Democrats might not attempt to table impeachment. Instead, they would leave that up to Republicans. If Republicans were to table their own impeachment measure, it would certainly embarrass the GOP.

Republicans face a dilemma with a vote to table the impeachment resolution. If they reject impeachment, it could look ham-fisted and underscore their struggle with ultra-conservative members. This includes fights over who should be Speaker and battles over government funding.

The House committees have concluded that the President's actions constitute "impeachable conduct." They recommend that the full House evaluate and consider the next steps.

The impeachment of an elderly president who is partly out the door is not desired by most Republicans, especially as they struggle to maintain a slim House majority and face a formidable challenge from Vice President Harris in the 2024 election. While the macro politics of the election may suggest that impeachment will fade away, the micro politics of the House Republican Conference could indicate a different outcome.