GOP Preparing Avalanche of Investigations Against Biden Administration on All Fronts - Report
© AFP 2023 / MANDEL NGAN
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Republicans are said to be preparing to use a possible majority after the 2022 midterm elections.
House Republicans plan to launch a number of investigations against the current administration over several controversial issues, including the border crisis and Afghanistan, Axios reported on Sunday, citing obtained documents.
According to the news outlet, the investigations aim to shift and deflect focus away from the 1/6 Commission, "a real-time probe of real violence, death, and looting in the Capitol".
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy is reportedly preparing to send a number of "preservation notices" to departments throughout President Biden's office, requesting officials to retain documents related to the future Republican oversight hearings for:
Secret IRS Files. Investigative organisation ProPublica earlier released documents from the IRS showing that a number of the richest billionaires in the US, including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Warren Buffett "pay little in income tax compared to their massive wealth".
NSA vs Tucker Carlson. Fox News host Tucker Carlson earlier accused the National Security Agency (NSA) of spying on his electronic communications for the purpose of shuttering his nightly political talk show. The agency denied the allegations, saying that it only carries out foreign intelligence operations and does not spy on Americans.
Parents Against Mask Mandate. In October, the National School Board Association (NSBA) had to apologise for a letter to the White House, where it called parents opposed to coronavirus-related restrictions potential "domestic terrorists". Attorney General Merrick Garland later announced plans to initiate an FBI probe into "threats of violence against school board members".
Border Crisis. The current administration has received severe backlash for its performance in border security, with record-breaking numbers of illegal immigrants that exceeded the previous year's rates by 161 percent in some areas. Many Republicans demand the removal of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and the replacement of Kamala Harris as Biden's border czar.
COVID-19 Pandemic. New controversy erupted after reports suggested that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), led by chief US medical adviser Anthony Fauci, was illegally funding coronavirus gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Withdrawal From Afghanistan. The hasty US evacuation from Afghanistan after the Taliban ultimately seized power in the country caused chaos in the capital. After a series of blasts, carried out by terrorists, and the death of several American servicemen and hundreds of locals, Republicans wanted to investigate the timing and decisions of the withdrawal.
JEDI. The GOP earlier initiated a probe into the Pentagon's $10 billion cloud-computing contract with Microsoft, known as the Joint Enterprise Defence Infrastructure, concluded in 2019. Lawmakers believe that officials showed undue favour to Microsoft, over other contenders, including Amazon.
