In a decisive turn, House Republicans have all but given up on their pursuit of impeaching President Joe Biden. GOP lawmakers from the Judiciary, Oversight, and Ways and Means committees released a comprehensive 300-page report on Monday, outlining the findings of their impeachment inquiry. While the report accuses Biden of engaging in "impeachable conduct," notably missing was a direct call for an impeachment vote.

Shortly after the report's release, Speaker Mike Johnson issued a statement praising the committees for their work and encouraging Americans to read the report. However, the statement conspicuously avoided any mention of next steps, suggesting that House leadership does not intend to bring an impeachment vote against Biden. Leading committee heads such as Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and James Comer (R-Ky.) have not demanded such a vote either.

This development brings an underwhelming conclusion to what was once a high-profile investigation by the Republican Party. With a slim majority in the House, it has been evident for months that House Republicans lack the necessary votes to impeach Biden. Centrist Republicans have expressed skepticism about the evidence of any wrongdoing or impeachable offense, despite private briefings. Some members of the GOP conference are now recognizing that the released report effectively marks the end of the impeachment effort.

"We don't have the votes. We won't have the votes. It's math.... The report is going to be the end of it," said one anonymous GOP lawmaker, conceding the challenges faced by the impeachment endeavor.

However, this does not mean that conservatives are entirely abandoning the push for impeachment, which could pose a challenge for GOP leadership moving forward. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) publicly questioned Speaker Johnson about when they would vote on impeaching Biden. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who previously suggested forcing an impeachment vote over immigration policy, reiterated her belief that Biden "must be impeached." Still, both Greene and Steube stopped short of explicitly committing to forcing an impeachment vote when Congress reconvenes in September.

Should a vote proceed without leadership support, it would almost certainly fail, as dozens of GOP lawmakers remain skeptical about the viability of impeachment efforts. Nevertheless, some conservatives are considering pushing for a vote in order to force their colleagues to take a public stance, potentially causing discomfort for centrist Republicans just weeks prior to the election.

If Republicans ultimately decide against bringing impeachment to the House floor, it would mark the first time in modern history that a formal presidential impeachment inquiry did not end in a vote, with the exception of Richard Nixon's case, where he resigned before a vote could take place. Nevertheless, a growing faction within the GOP conference appears increasingly open to exploring alternative avenues. These include making criminal referrals to the Justice Department concerning James and Hunter Biden, as well as advocating for bipartisan legislation to tighten financial disclosure requirements for presidents, vice presidents, and their family members.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) summed up the state of the impeachment effort, stating, "I'd say we're finished with that." Rep. Comer also sought to distance the investigation from impeachment and clarified that he never officially requested an impeachment inquiry, suggesting that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy initiated it to strengthen their legal position.

The Republicans' months-long investigation has predominantly focused on the business dealings of Biden's family members. The report released on Monday extensively delved into the financial affairs of Hunter and James Biden, including their business ventures and loans received. While the report acknowledges that the inquiry remains open, both Comer and Jordan have indicated their investigations are largely concluded, though some legal battles remain.

Republicans claim to have traced $27 million back to the Biden family and their associates from foreign entities, alleging that this funding would not have been received if Joe Biden had not been in office. They also uncovered instances where Hunter and James Biden benefited from their last name and connections to Joe Biden, using them to leverage influence. However, investigators struggled to find direct evidence linking President Biden's actions to those business deals or any criminal activity.

Some former business associates interviewed during the investigation revealed that Hunter Biden would occasionally include his father in speakerphone conversations with potential partners, though the discussions were limited to pleasantries. Witnesses also recalled instances of Joe Biden attending dinners or lunches, but business matters were not discussed on those occasions. Hunter and James Biden, as well as the White House, have consistently denied any involvement by Joe Biden in their business dealings.

Republicans argue in their report that they did not need to establish evidence of a crime or quid pro quo, while some of their colleagues disagreed, stating that such evidence would be necessary to warrant a Biden impeachment. Democrats swiftly claimed victory after the report's release, asserting that it effectively exonerated President Biden.

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, derided the Republican report as a face-saving gesture and deemed it a "Banana Republican cream pie" thrust into their own faces. Raskin circulated a memo among Democratic members titled "President Biden Exonerated by Impeachment Inquiry."

GOP leaders have sought to defend their investigative efforts, compiling a list of perceived successes resulting from the Republican majority. These include pressuring former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, Judiciary Committee investigations into Vice President Kamala Harris' border work, and recent resignations at Columbia University, which has been under scrutiny by the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Beyond the lack of votes, Republicans' political calculus has also shifted, with a newfound focus on Vice President Harris and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz. The GOP has begun scrutinizing Harris' actions at the border and has initiated an investigation into Walz's ties to China.

Notably, the GOP's impeachment report mentions the "Biden-Harris" administration approximately 20 times. Although Harris was not central to the investigation primarily centered on the Biden family's business dealings and the federal inquiry into Hunter Biden, Republicans chose to release the report on the first day of the Democratic convention, coinciding with President Biden's expected speech.

As the impeachment effort ends in an anticlimactic manner, GOP lawmakers are exploring alternative strategies while Democrats celebrate what they view as a definitive exoneration of President Biden. The focus will now shift to other potential off-ramps, including criminal referrals and legislation to tighten financial disclosure requirements. The political landscape may evolve further as Republicans redirect their attention towards Vice President Harris and Tim Walz, potentially unveiling more investigations in the future.