GOP eyes Biden probe as new House priority
WASHINGTON — The Republican Party’s capture of the House majority, though narrow, will soon transform the agenda in Washington, empowering GOP lawmakers to pursue conservative goals, vigorously challenge the policies of Democratic President Joe Biden — and plunge into Washington investigations with their new subpoena powers.
Come next year, Republicans have made clear, the Democratic-led Jan. 6 investigative committee will be no more. Instead, public probes into the president’s son, Hunter Biden, will begin. And GOP priorities including border security, parents’ rights and major IRS cuts will be on fast tracks to the House floor.
It’s a familiar whiplash, reminiscent of what took place after midterm contests in 2010 and 2018 that also ended oneparty control of Washington — the first time to the Republicans’ benefit, the second to the Democrats’. This time, however, the Republicans’ weakerthan-expected showing in last week’s election will complicate plans to aggressively take Biden on with actual legislation.
Speaker-in-waiting Kevin McCarthy will have few votes to spare as he steers the House agenda, little room to maneuver if members of his conference withhold their support. And few of the House GOP’s goals, even if passed, are likely to have much of a chance in the closely divided but Democratic-led Senate.
But after two years on the receiving end of Jan. 6 and Donald Trump investigations, Republicans have made clear a top priority for their own majority is to investigate and then investigate some more — Democrats this time. They are preparing a wide range of probes of Democrats, from Hunter Biden’s business dealings to the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, illegal immigration on the U.S.-Mexico border and billions of dollars in COVID-19 spending they say was stolen or spent frivolously.
“It’s really about getting answers to questions that people all across this country have been asking ... and ... the administration refuses to (answer),” said Rep. Steve Scalise said in an interview before the election.
Investigating the Biden family will be the first order of business, top Republicans indicated Thursday at a news conference just hours after clinching the House majority.
Rep. James Comer, incoming chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said there are “troubling questions” about the business dealings of Joe Biden’s son Hunter and one
of the president’s brothers, James Biden, that require deeper investigation.
In fact, Republican lawmakers have been analyzing messages and financial transactions found on a laptop that belonged to Hunter Biden for the
past year. They have discussed issuing subpoenas to foreign entities that did business with him, and recently brought on James Mandolfo to assist with the investigation as general counsel for the Oversight Committee.
Hunter Biden’s taxes and foreign business work are already under federal investigation.
The White House has been preparing for possible investigations into Biden’s family, though comment on anything related specifically to Hunter Biden
would come from his lawyers, who did not return a request on Thursday.
“President Biden is not going to let ... attacks distract him from ... Americans’ priorities, and we hope ... Republicans will join us ... instead of wasting time ... on political revenge,” Ian Sams, spokesperson for the White House counsel’s office, said in a statement
Thursday.