WASHINGTON – Republicans may have won control of the House by the slightest margin, but in an entirely majority-run house, their razor-thin advantage has provided them all. tools needed to push the Biden administration into a quagmire of investigations.
With power and subpoenas in their hands, Republicans are set to lead influential House committees that have pledged to terrify President Biden on a range of issues, including his dealings. his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business services, security on the southern border, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Justice Department’s Initiative to Address Threats of Violence and Harassment targeting school administrators and school board members.
At the same time, they will face calls from their conservative base – and an influential group of hardliners in Congress – to impeach a group of officials, from himself. Biden to the vice president and cabinet ministers.
And at least some of them will need to find a way to introduce legislation — government funding bills at least — that could pass the Democratic-led Senate and be signed by Mr. Biden.
While House Republicans have made modest gains in diversifying this year, their senior ranks reflect the overwhelming white male component of their convention. . The party is on track to have no people of color leading the committees – a notable change from House Democrats, who have six Black, two native, and two black lawmakers. Latino and an Asian American in those positions. Republicans are also set to have only two or three women lead committees, down from the seven Democratic women currently holding committees.
Here’s a look at some of the key players.
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Kay Granger of Texas
Granger, Fort Worth’s first female mayor and 13-term congresswoman, is on track to become the first Republican woman to lead the powerful Appropriations Committee, the agency that controls government spending control.
She will have to run dozens of funding bills through the House in the face of opposition from anti-spending Republicans, which will most likely lead to negotiations with Democrats to win votes. necessary, needs.
Although Granger has at times opposed short-term spending laws under the Biden administration, she has repeatedly campaigned to increase military spending and invest in F-35 fighter jets built in her county. grandma.
Armed services
Mike D. Rogers of Alabama
Mr. Rogers, a deeply conservative 10-term congressman, could become chairman of the Armed Services Committee, which has a history of operating in a bipartisan manner.
One of the key architects in the Space Forces Congress, Mr. Rogers has called on the Biden administration to increase military spending. As the committee’s leader, he will be responsible for ensuring the passage of the annual defense authorization bill, the act that directs military policy, and outlining the annual Pentagon budget.
energy and commerce
Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington
Former House Republican Conference chairwoman McMorris Rodgers is likely to become the first woman to lead the Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the House’s three major investigative committees.
A new Congress of the United States takes shape
After the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats maintained control of the Senate while Republicans toppled the House.
Ms. McMorris Rodgers has pledged to use her powers to scrutinize the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, including placing Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser and favorite target. favorite of Republicans, before her panel. Oversaw Dr. Fauci’s actions, she used to say“will continue after his passing and until the American people have the answers they need.”
She also said she’s going to dig into TikTok, having recently teamed up with Representative James R. Comer, a Kentucky Republican who is likely to lead the Oversight Committee, to submit the submission. gave the social media company a letter expressing concern that it had provided misinformation to Congress about data sharing and privacy practices with the Chinese government.
Foreign Affair
Michael McCaul of Texas
McCaul, a former federal prosecutor, is poised to serve as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, which is expected to lead the investigation into the Biden administration’s handling of the swift withdrawal of troops from the US government. Afghanistan. The investigation is likely to focus on pre-evacuation planning, the failed evacuation attempt of Afghan interpreters and contractors who assisted the U.S. government, and the consequences of the withdrawal.
A longtime China hawk, McCaul said his top priority is to help the United States counter a rising Beijing, including tightening export controls on technology. sensitive military and promote arms sales to Taiwan.
Mr. McCaul has been vocal in support of military aid to Ukraine, suggesting he could use his hammer to help counter a growing wave of anti-intervention voices within his party calling for the withdrawal of the military. downsize or cut off aid altogether. He has said his council will have more oversight on where the aid is going.
Judicial authorities
Ohio’s Jim Jordan
Few Republicans are likely to play a larger role in the new Congress than Mr. Jordan, founding chairman of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus and an eight-term congressman who is likely to become president. Judiciary Committee.
An ally of former President Donald J. Trump, Mr. Jordan has gone from a potential opponent of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, to a supporter of Mr. McCarthy’s bid to become a speaker.
When he became Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Jordan pledged to investigate what he described as the recent politicization of the Justice Department and the FBI. release a 1,000-page report on this subject, but it is mainly a collection of letters that the council has sent.
Mr. McCarthy said this week that Mr. Jordan and Mr. Comer would lead an investigation into the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, to “determine whether an impeachment inquiry should be initiated. .”
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James R. Comer of Kentucky
Mr. Comer, a former state lawmaker and Kentucky agriculture commissioner who served in Congress for six years, has eagerly awaited his opportunity to lead a series of investigations with the power to subpoena comes with Republican control of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Comer said he obtained the contents of a laptop owned by Hunter Biden, the president’s son, whose business is under federal investigation.
Mr. Comer and Mr. Jordan held a press conference on Capitol Hill recently detailed their plan to focus the investigation beyond the young Biden. “This is the investigation of Joe Biden,” Mr. Comer said.
In addition to the Biden family businesses, Mr. Comer said his committee will investigate how the administration handled the southern border, the origins of Covid-19, the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and whether there was any mismanagement. weak pandemic relief funds, among other things.
“The American people want Washington to be held accountable and Republicans willing to do so,” he said in a statement.
Ways and Means
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Three Republicans are vying to lead the committee responsible for setting the nation’s tax and trade policy.
Representative Jason Smith of Missouri, the top Republican on the Budget Committee, is looking to jump to the top of his party on the Ways and Means Committee, where he can play a more prominent role. in the debate over how to handle the impending default of programs like Social Security and Medicare. Smith has vowed to lead oversight of the Internal Revenue Service and crafting tax and trade legislation aimed at strengthening the United States’ position against China, an aide said.
Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida has also made it clear that he wants the position, having led several subcommittees and demonstrated extensive fundraising on behalf of the Republican campaign in the House. . Mr. Buchanan highlighted his experience as a business owner and advocated making the 2017 Republican tax law permanent.
Representative Adrian Smith of Nebraska is also running for the position, highlighting the facts about his policies and the work he has done on the committee since 2010. He has also been involved in a Bipartisan trade agreements with Mexico and Canada.
Homeland Security
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Representative Mark E. Green of Tennessee, a former Ranger who was on the mission to capture Saddam Hussein, is confronting Representative Daniel Crenshaw of Texas, a former Navy SEAL officer, over his endorsement of the Homeland Security Committee.
Whoever prevails will play a role in what top Republicans have promised will be an active investigation into Mr. Mayorkas and the administration’s border policies.
Both Mr. Green and Mr. Crenshaw are two-term congressmen, deeply conservative and from the military. Mr Green is a member of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, while Mr Crenshaw has eliminated the hard-line right in his party.
Both have said they intend to hold the Biden administration accountable for the immigration crisis at the southern border, as well as efforts to bolster the government’s approach to cybersecurity.
Stephanie Lai contribution report.
