GOP weighs new leadership posts as tradewinds swirl
WASHINGTON — Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan wants to be speaker of the House, but his run at the throne, while considered a long shot, could put him in a position to land something else he prizes: the power to shape GOP policy toward one of the investigations surrounding President Donald Trump and his alleged ties to Russia.
The Republican chairmen of the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees are retiring in January, opening the party’s top spots on two panels uniquely equipped to harangue the executive branch — authority they leveraged this year to doggedly scrutinize FBI and Justice Department officials investigating allegations Trump’s campaign conspired with Moscow to influence the 2016 presidential election. As a member of both panels, Jordan has been an influential force in that probe. But he and other Trump allies in Congress are frustrated at party leaders’ reluctance to bring the full weight of congressional censure upon those in law enforcement whom they believe to be biased against the president.
How aggressively House lawmakers continue to examine this aspect of the TrumpRussia saga depends on the outcome of Tuesday’s elections, what further charges may emerge from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, and anticipated staffing changes at the Justice Department. But all of the 10 Republican and Democratic congressional officials The Washington Post spoke to for this report — most of whom requested anonymity to offer their candid assessments about pending political power struggles — believed the Judiciary and Oversight committees would continue to devote attention to Russia-related matters next year regardless of which party holds the House majority.
That means the GOP’s eventual choice of committee leaders will reveal whether House Republicans intend to keep hammering those who challenge the president, and how much sway Trump’s allies will wield over congressional oversight of the administration during the second half of his first term.