Republican legislators have promised to “follow the truth where it leads” at the upcoming hearing on the “weaponization of the federal government.” At the same time, Democrats insist that the Committee will ” go after every conspiracy theory out there.”
On Tuesday, February 9, at noon, the Select Subcommittee for the “Weaponization” of the Federal Government will hold its first hearing.
With wide subpoena power and the ability to examine existing criminal cases, the panel will scrutinize any potential federal government overreach and violations of individual liberties. Representative Mike Johnson (R-La. ), a subcommittee member, announced the first meeting’s location and time on Twitter, writing, “We will follow the truth where it leads.” The discussion will take place at the Rayburn House Office Building.
Conservatives have likened the commission to the Church Committee, a Senate investigation team from the 1970s that discovered spy agency misconduct. Earlier in January, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), leader of the House Rules Committee, remarked on the House floor, The American people deserve to have faith in their government. They have a right to know that the FBI, DHS, and intelligence agencies are using the extensive powers provided to them by the federal government with integrity.
The Democratic Party has described the subcommittee’s work as a politicized witch hunt. A subcommittee member, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), acknowledged as much in a Sunday appearance on MSNBC: that they’re going to go after every conspiracy theory out there.
Garamendi agreed that it was critical to look into claims of government misconduct, and he said that Congress, which is responsible for exercising oversight, should do so. Simultaneously, he painted the eight Democrats on the panel as committed to finding “the truth” and accused the Republicans of chasing conspiracy theories. As Garamendi put it, “you can count on the eight of us on this committee to make sure that the American public knows the truth.” Garamendi added, “We want the truth; we want it to come out,” referring to the fact that the latest conspiracy thing would be on Jordan’s agenda for the next two years.
Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands), the Democratic senior member on the Committee, said on MSNBC on Friday that the Republicans are interested in pursuing rainbow theories and igniting far-right fearmongering in their audience.
Former Trump administration manager and interviewee Plaskett asserted that the panel’s Democratic members would be “the truth squad” during the impeachment process. On January 10, the GOP-controlled House agreed to formally establish the subcommittee, and the resolution’s wording lays out the group’s mandate.
A Preview of What to Anticipate
With regard to the federal government’s involvement in investigations of American citizens, both past and present, the Select Subcommittee for the “Weaponization of the Federal Government” has the authority to probe deeply.
The Committee also has the jurisdiction to look into how government agencies share personal data with business corporations.
According to recent interviews conducted by The Epoch Times with several members of the subcommittee, the panel will investigate allegations of misconduct within the DOJ and FBI, as well as the constitutionality of vaccine mandates, the spread of false information about election integrity laws sponsored by conservatives, and the censorship of American citizens by large tech companies.
Republicans have indicated that they want a full probe of the FBI in response to allegations made in the “Twitter Files,” a collection of internal business correspondence supplied by Elon Musk to several journalists.
A representative for the FBI claimed that the agency routinely alerts private sector groups about “negative foreign influence” but that any steps are conducted independently by corporations. The FBI has denied any misconduct.
Screenshots of FBI demands for Twitter to suppress content on the site were included in one of the Twitter Files disclosures, and other conversations showed Twitter cooperating in what independent journalist Matt Taibbi called a dynamic “master-canine” relationship.
The Most Prominent Power Abuse of Our Time
A member of the panel, Republican Representative Darrell Issa of California, stated that they would seek responsibility for any wrongdoing by government agencies. According to Issa, “there is no way Congress can look away and not pursue proper accountability for the weaponization of the federal government against the American people, which is the trademark abuse of power for “our time.”
Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah), a subcommittee member who also serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, stated that he is interested in looking into the unfounded claims that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in their interference in the 2016 election.
Stewart said his priorities are a continuation of the work that they have been doing through the Intelligence Committee that highlights, recognizes, and roots out the corruption from leadership in some of the most crucial agencies whose corruption has not been exposed or held accountable.
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) stated that the Committee’s efforts would also aid in preventing future abuses by government agencies. He contends that certain government agencies created to serve and keep Americans secure instead have been turned against the people since Biden took office.
This is an undeniable reality. In addition, he said that the Biden administration has exaggerated domestic extremism numbers, enacted unlawful vaccination mandates, invaded the homes of political opponents, and targeted conservative states over their election integrity legislation.
“Deranged Ploy?”
Democrats have voiced doubts about the panel’s jurisdiction, arguing that it lacks the authority to investigate cases already investigated by law enforcement agencies. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, stated that this is a breach of the separation of powers and is also highly dangerous.
On January 10, Democratic Massachusetts representative Jim McGovern slammed the panel as nothing more than a twisted effort by the MAGA fanatics who have seized the party and want to use public money to advance their far-right conspiracy nonsense on the House floor.
Jordan argued otherwise during a floor speech in the House. Jordan said it was not a ruse for the Department of Justice to punish parents like terrorists for doing something as simple as attending a school board meeting to speak for their child. When the FBI forks out $3 million to Twitter to ban American individuals, it’s hardly a gimmick.
It’s not a gimmick, according to the Republican staffers on the Judiciary Committee who have spoken with dozens of whistleblowers. They engaged in conversation because of this, and this is taken very seriously by them, Jordan said.
Before this, the FBI sent a statement emphasizing that the agency is devoted to safeguarding the American people from terrorism, violent crime, and cyber threats.
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