OPINION:
With a Republican majority in the House, accountability and oversight of the federal government is returning to Washington.
During Democrats’ two years of one-party rule in Washington, House Democrats shirked their responsibility to conduct oversight of the Biden administration s abuses of power. Instead, Democrats weaponized their subpoena power to intimidate and coerce private businesses and perceived political foes.
The core purpose of the Oversight Committee is to ensure the executive branch is held accountable. Yet the compilation of “reports” issued by Democrats on the panel is properly viewed as a list of things the federal government should not be doing. This includes absurd and wasteful investigations into flea and tick collars for pets and the private Facebook groups of Border Patrol agents.
This month, Democrats on the Oversight Committee rushed to release their final report of the 117th Congress before Republicans take the gavel in January. The report summarizes the all-important work of a 14-month “investigation” into the workplace culture of an NFL team, the Washington Commanders.
The House Oversight Committee should not be used to publicly attack a private company with no connection to the federal government. Yet Democrats had an opportunity to score cheap political points by attacking a wealthy Republican donor loathed by their base.
Dan Snyder, the owner of the Washington Commanders, is a long-standing target of the political left for his past resistance to changing the name of Washington’s football team paired with his contributions to Republican candidates. Elected lawmakers should not use their position on powerful committees to intimidate private businesses and individuals they disagree with.
Rep. James Comer, who is to serve as chairman of the Oversight Committee next Congress, blasted Democrats’ report: “From the beginning, Committee Democrats’ so-called ‘investigation’ into the Washington Commanders only served to deliberately target a private organization, gain cheap headlines, and ignore any information that did not align with their predetermined narrative.”
Democrats spent two years engaged in such political witch hunts while turning a blind eye to the transgressions of the Biden administration.
Democrats are happy to ignore the politicization and abuse perpetrated by the IRS after voting to give the agency an extra $80 billion to beef up enforcement.
It’s been 557 days since the private tax returns of thousands of Americans spanning a 15-year period were released by the progressive news organization ProPublica. Democrats have held precisely zero hearings investigating the source of the illegal theft from the IRS. Similarly, Democrats can’t tell the public why the IRS destroyed 30 million active taxpayer documents and refuse to hold any hearings on the matter.
Democrats’ reckless multitrillion-dollar spending spree led to the highest levels of inflation in 40 years and the economy teetering near a recession.
Democrats’ first major legislative action of the Biden administration was to pass a $1.9 trillion spending bill cloaked as pandemic relief. Yet they have shown little interest in making sure taxpayer money is spent wisely or even legally.
It’s been nearly a year since the Secret Service estimated that COVID-19 relief fraud could total nearly $100 billion. Democrats have held no oversight hearings forcing the administration to account for the monies.
Thankfully, House Republicans have promised a return of meaningful oversight of the federal government when they assume control of Congress in January.
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has released a detailed outline promising strict oversight and investigations into IRS politicization and abuse, the misuse of pandemic funds, the origins of the coronavirus, and President Biden’s handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
These are desperately needed investigations that Congress has a constitutional responsibility to get to the bottom of. Starting in January, a Republican majority will finally ensure the House begins seeking answers.
• Mike Palicz is director of tax policy at Americans for Tax Reform.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.