The speaker said he would move forward with a vote that Republicans have long avoided for fear that some in their ranks would refuse to endorse an investigation without incriminating evidence.
The first hearing in the impeachment inquiry comes as Republicans are grasping for evidence tying President Biden to his son’s foreign business dealings.
An examination of confidential correspondence and interviews with those close to Mr. Biden and lawyers involved in the case show how the deal ultimately fell apart amid schisms and withering external pressures.
Although some G.O.P. lawmakers see the appointment of David C. Weiss as a vindication of their strategy, others criticize the now-scuttled plea deal he struck with Mr. Biden.
The chairman of the Ways and Means Committee filed a brief in federal court saying the plea agreement for the president’s son had been tainted by political interference.