According to a report from the New York Times, House Republicans will be putting forward a resolution this week to create a special Judiciary subcommittee focusing on what they call the “weaponization of the federal government,” with a focus on the FBI and the U.S. intelligence services.
Now that the House Republicans finally came together to make Kevin McCarthy the new House speaker, they will begin work this week on new rules for the chamber and other changes as they flex their majority-powers.
After McCarthy promised concessions to far-right Freedom Caucus members, which reportedly included handing out chairmanships and creating new subcommittees, a focus on the FBI and intel groups would open the door to a wide range of House Republicans having access to sensitive documents that were previously beyond their reach.
That could include controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) who was booted from all of her committee assignments — with 11 Republican colleagues agreeing — back in February of 2021 due to “her past incendiary comments and apparent support of violence against Democrats,” reported NPR at the time.
As the Times’ Charlie Savage and Luke Broadwater wrote, the passage of the resolution will empower projected House Judiciary Charman Jim Jordan to demand files for the new subcommittee members to review.
According to their report, the resolution appears to “grant Mr. Jordan’s panel the power to receive the same highly classified information that intelligence agencies make available to their oversight committee, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,” adding, “Intelligence Committee members have access to some of the most sensitive secrets in the government, including information about covert actions, which are not shared with other lawmakers. Traditionally, House leaders tend to place on the intelligence panel members of their party they think are especially trustworthy not to disclose classified information.”
The report warns, “While Mr. Jordan’s investigative unit will be housed within the Judiciary Committee, its 13 members — eight of whom would be Republicans — will not be limited to lawmakers on that panel.”
That could include Taylor Greene who has wormed her way into the good graces of McCarthy as one of his staunchest advocates in his bid for the speakership and reportedly will have her pick of committees to serve on.
The Times report states, “Mr. McCarthy has already promised her a spot on the House Oversight Committee, and she broke with other far-right members to support his speakership bid from the first ballot, as did Mr. Jordan. Such a situation could result in lawmakers trying to scrutinize a Justice Department investigation as that inquiry potentially examines some of those same lawmakers’ conduct concerning the events of Jan. 6.”
Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) who is reportedly being investigated by the DOJ could also gain access to those documents.
Asked about that possibility on Sunday, Perry claimed, “Why should I be limited — why should anybody be limited just because someone has made an accusation? I get accused of all kinds of things every single day, as does every member that serves in the public eye. But that doesn’t stop you from doing your job. It is our duty and it is my duty.”
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