The House formally authorized an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden on Wednesday (Picture: AP)

An impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden has been formally approved – even though there is no evidence he committed high crimes.

The Republican-controlled House voted 221-212 along party lines on Wednesday to authorize the probe into whether the president benefited improperly from his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business deals.

Republicans have not released evidence publicly supporting the allegations.

‘Instead of doing anything to help make Americans’ lives better, they are focused on attacking me with lies,’ stated Biden of Republicans lawmakers shortly after the vote.

‘Instead of doing their job on the urgent work that needs to be done, they are choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt that even Republicans in Congress admit is not supported by facts.’

Republicans began the probe informally three months ago. The chairman of the Rules Committee, Republican Rep Tom Cole, said lawmakers in September started ‘examining whether sufficient grounds exist for the House to exercise constitutional power to impeach the president of the United States’.

‘Today’s resolution simply formalizes that inquiry, and grants the House full authority to enforce its subpoenas that have been denied as recently as today,’ said Cole.