The Republican-led House voted along party lines Wednesday to formalize an impeachment investigation into President Joe Biden, clearing the way for expanded probes despite no clear evidence of wrongdoing.

Approved 221-212 over unified Democratic opposition, the resolution directs three committees to intensify inquiries into the Biden family’s international business deals and whether the president improperly benefited. It follows months of GOP claims that Biden used his former position as vice president to aid his son Hunter’s lucrative foreign ventures.

The White House has pushed back against what it labels a partisan “stunt,” arguing Republicans received thousands of documents and hours of testimony without uncovering misconduct. Biden himself slammed the vote as “lies” distracting from urgent issues.

However, Republican leaders frame the measure as a legally necessary precursor to compulsory process, with witnesses and documents often withheld so far. It also initiates a more formal fact-finding phase that could build momentum toward actual impeachment.

“The American people deserve answers,” said newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. But he added that they “can’t prejudge the outcome” before investigations conclude.

One figure in the center of accusations, Hunter Biden, defied his subpoena Wednesday by refusing to testify privately. Instead, he gave an open press conference decrying the probe as character assassination while denying his father held any financial stake abroad.

That claim prompted House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan to suggest a shift in the Biden narrative. Panel Republicans now plan contempt charges over the younger Biden’s no-show.

With the inquiry vote clearing the way for more subpoenas and testimony, the path ahead likely means a bitter, election-year probe stretching deep into 2024.