geoff: As part of the new
congress, tomorrow, house
Republicans will start
scrutinizing nearly every policy
step taken by the Biden white
house and congressional
Democrats over the past two
years.
Lisa Desjardins joins us with
more to expect tomorrow and down
the road.
House Republicans have mentioned
a number of topics they say are
ripe for investigation.
Help us understand where the
intent to start and where this
heads.
Lisa: When you think about the
investigations house Republicans
are launching, I think about
them in three big baskets.
Let's look at the committees
that will be key.
First, a new select committee on
China.
Important to note, this has wide
bipartisan backing, it is
focused on China and the
communist party there, the
economy and also human rights.
Different are the other two
committees you see here, the
house oversight committee.
These committees are looking at
the Biden administration -- look
at the list.
These are the different things
already announced by the house
oversight committee, the
classified documents, the Biden
family influence, including
hunter Biden, and also Joe
Biden's brothers, whether they
have connections outside this
country.
The pandemic, border, rug prices
and overall Afghanistan and the
withdrawal there.
Expect a lot of news to come out
of the committee, certainly a
lot of hearings.
Then there is the house
judiciary committee.
That is led by Jim Jordan, the
Republican from Ohio.
They will also look at
classified documents but
especially the role of agencies,
including the department of
justice and border security,
that will be one of their first
hearings next week.
This is a special subcommittee,
the weaponization subcommittee.
I think that will focus a lot on
the department of justice and
FBI, investigating the
investigators.
Not only that, the world --
there will be a look at how
government agencies take on
individual Americans,
Republicans say.
All of this is the beginning.
We don't know what shape these
will take, but the theme is for
those big committees going at
the Biden administration and
family.
Geoff: Those are the topics,
tell us more about the approach
these committees might take.
Lisa: Those two chairman are
different chairman in their
approaches.
Let's talk about James, and
house oversight.
-- James comer and house
oversight.
He is more affable, he has
gotten along with his democratic
chairman in the past and he says
he will take this slow, I spoke
with him at length.
He does not want to start out of
the gate throwing punchat
the Biden administration.
In the past he's criticized the
trump administration.
Different in style, Jim Jordan.
They get along.
But he is a former wrestler, he
likes to throw punches and he
believes pugilistic style can
uncover truth and is some thing
he loves to do.
His committee is somewhere we
will see more contention and
already he is telling the Biden
administration, signaling he is
ready to issue subpoenas pretty
quickly.
Here is a press release they put
out in the last couple of weeks,
signaling right there that he
will take them on, giving them
notice about documents requests.
Both of these committees
different in style are going
after the same thing.
Republicans say there was not
enough of a check on the Biden
administration.
Democrats are nervous and they
say the judiciary committee in
particular is something they
want to watch.
Some Democrats said they are
nervous about even sitting on
the committee.
Geoff: Meantime, news today
about two members of Unger's
that might not have committee
seats at all.
Lisa: As was reported, George
Santos said he will not serve on
committees, that is at least
temporary, and is connected to
the other member we are talking
about, Democrat ilhan Omar.
Mccarthy has said he would like
to remove her from the house
foreign affairs committee but he
needs nearly all of his
conference to agree and he does
not have enough votes to remove
her.
This is for paste -- past
statements she's made about
Israel that were considered
anti-semitic, she has
apologized.
He does not have the votes to
remove her right now and we will
watch that carefully.
Geoff: Lastly, there has been
renewed focus on police reform
following the killing of tyre
Nichols.
What are the prospects of that
in congress?
Lisa: There is huge interest,
behind-the-scenes conversations.
This is the timeline, state of
the union, we expect Nichols's
mother at that speech next week.
I am told by Republicans and
Democrats that is the timeline.
If there can be movement on the
issue, it is up to that speech
and they are hoping to get some
sign of advance by then.
Can they get there?
We don't know.
Geoff: Lisa, thank you for that
great reporting.