WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the days-long Speaker of the House of Representatives vote, republicans are now setting up their priorities for the new congress. They’re starting off the new congress by creating committees.
The House voted mostly along party lines to create a special committee on “weaponizing the government” that would investigate perceived wrongdoing by the federal government. The language in the resolution says the committee will be able to look into the expansive role of article two authority vested in the executive branch to collect information on or otherwise investigate citizens of the United States, including ongoing criminal investigations. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R- CA) told reporters that the House should get to the bottom of accountability of what was being used to go after American citizens. This is something House democrats are pushing back on, saying this committee will obstruct justice by meddling with investigations for the FBI and DOJ.
“They’re gonna create a committee to meddle into ongoing law enforcement investigations,” said Rep. Ted Lieu (D- CA). “Some of these investigations are investigating republican members of congress including the former failed president.”
We know that republicans are particularly frustrated into the ongoing investigation into former president Donald Trump, which could have spearheaded the part for creating this committee. But this isn’t the only committee they’re establishing. On an overwhelming bipartisan vote, the House created a committee on China. According to the resolution, the committee will look at China’s economic, technological and security progress and its competition with the U.S.
“We’re gonna set up the select committee on China to finally confront one of the greatest challenges to our nation and that is what the Chinese Communist Party has been doing all around the globe, making challenges to our country and other countries around the world,” said Rep. Steve Scalise (R- LA).
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R- WI) told Politico this committee will look at how to prevent World War III from breaking out over in Taiwan and what long-term investments we need to make to win this new Cold War with China. He goes on to say that he believes China has been waging a cold war over us within the past decade especially when it comes to ideological competition between two competing systems of government and their different values.
