In a letter to White House Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President Ron Klain on Friday, House Republicans set to take control of the Judiciary Committee put a handful of President Joe Biden's senior aides on notice that they would be the subject of Republican oversight and expected to comply with requests for information and testimony.
In their letter, Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Ken Buck (R-CO), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Darrell Issa (R-CA), and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) explain they are, "again," looking "to obtain your voluntary compliance with the outstanding requests for documents and information necessary for our oversight" in the 118th Congress.
The Republicans set to wield power beginning in January explain how the Biden White House has stonewalled their efforts at transparency and accountability, giving a preview of what the House Judiciary Committee will be focused on in their early days back in the majority:
Over the past twenty-one months, we have made several requests for information and documents concerning the Biden Administration's misuse of federal criminal and counterterrorism resources to target concerned parents at school board meetings. We reiterated and itemized these requests in our recent letter of October 17, 2022, which is enclosed for your convenience. To date, you have ignored these requests. Please be aware that if our requests remain outstanding at the beginning of the 118th Congress, the Committee may be forced to resort to compulsory process to obtain the material we require.
In short, Republicans are pointing out that Biden and his goons have been withholding information about its controversial policies, and they have one last chance to turn over what the GOP congressman have been asking for or they'll be forced to turn it over once Ranking Member Jordan becomes Chairman Jordan on the Judiciary Committee.
But the Judiciary GOP doesn't just want the documents and information related to the "Biden Administration's use of federal law enforcement with respect to school board-related threats," they're also ready to haul Biden aides before the committee to testify under oath about the scandal.
"We require prompt testimony from employees of the Executive Office of the President," the Republicans state in their letter to Klain. "We expect your unfettered cooperation in arranging for the Committee to receive testimony from EOP employees," they add before naming names:
As an initial matter, we anticipate requiring testimony, in hearings or transcribed interviews, from the following employees early in the 118th Congress:
- Mary C. Wall, Senior Advisor, COVID-19 Response Team;
- Julie C. Rodriguez, Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs;
- Katherine Pantangco, Policy Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs; and
- Nezly Silva, Senior Policy Analyst for Intergovernmental Affairs.
Judiciary Committee Republicans are, evidently, not going to waste any time beginning their oversight once their majority takes over in January, advising Klain that he should "direct your staff to work with Committee staff now on scheduling these events."