Republicans in the House of Representatives are preparing for a party takeover of the chamber next year by planning several investigations into the president and his administration. A number of issues, including the crisis on the southern border, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and Hunter Biden’s business dealings, are all expected to be investigated.
House GOP members are also planning to expand their oversight goals by moving beyond the administration and also investigating the origins of Covid-19 and the formation of the January 6 select committee.
With the impending November midterms on the horizon, Republican lawmakers are already dividing up which committees to investigate each issue. Leading Republicans have also been in talks about the probes with Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., according to a report by Politico.
“I’ve been really impressed with leadership — both from [Rep.] Jim [Jordan], from [Rep.] Jamie Comer, from Kevin’s office — is already starting to talk about that,” said Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D.
Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., is expected to be chosen as majority leader if and when Republicans regain control of the House and support the investigations. “I think it’s really going to be focused on holding the Biden administration accountable and getting answers. …It is going to be a lot of intense oversight.”
GOP members have already made document preservation requests to the January 6 committee. Officials, Twitter for its failed sale to Elon Musk, and officials who were involved in the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Representative Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, also vowed that when Republicans take control in November, lawmakers will be ready to investigate the onslaught of scandals. “The American people deserve to know where the virus started. The American people need to know the Justice Department is so political, it’s treating moms and dads as domestic terrorists who show up at school board meetings,” said Jordan.
He continued, “Thousands of Americans’ tax returns remain public. That’s not supposed to happen in this country. So, the Ways and Means Committee needs to investigate that. Certain key investigations have to happen, but we also have to pass legislation that’s going to help families across this great country.”
Lawmakers call on probe of election laws and systems
According to reports from The Hill, lawmakers are calling for a probe into election laws and systems, while others are focused on narrowing the focus of the investigations. Despite eleven Republicans sending a letter to House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., requesting hearings with a focus to “investigate the potential; illegal activities revealed in the documentary film 2000 Mules,” chief deputy whip for the House GOP, Representative Drew Ferguson, R-Ga., said, “We’ve got to focus on fuel, food crime, education, border.”
While the GOP prepares for a likely takeover of the chamber after the midterms, future committee chairs have already begun to lay out a growing list of oversight goals that go far past the Biden White House. The goals include the Democrats’ formation of the January 6 select committee, causes of inflation, the crisis on the southern border, Hunter Biden’s business dealings, the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, and the origins of the coronavirus.
“I’ve been really impressed with leadership — both from [Rep.] Jim [Jordan], from [Rep.] Jamie Comer, from Kevin’s office — is already starting to talk about that,” said Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D.
