When it comes to the 118th Congress, Tuesday sure turned out to be a busy news night for the Republican-controlled House. As he had long promised he would do, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) formally blocked Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from serving on the House Intelligence Committee. He also named members to the new Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government as well as the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
🔥 @SpeakerMcCarthy Appoints Members to Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government pic.twitter.com/gUXEPgZWfT
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) January 24, 2023
The former select subcommittee, which falls under the House Judiciary Committee, was approved along party lines shortly after House members were sworn in. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) will serve as chairman, with other members including Reps. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Chris Stewart (R-UT), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Mike Johnson (R-LA), Chip Roy (R-TX), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Greg Steube (R-FL), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Kat Cammack (R-FL), and Harriet Hageman (R-WY).
The latter subcommittee will be chaired by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and also include Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Michael Cloud (R-TX), John Joyce (R-PA), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), and Rich McCormick (R-GA).
Republicans have created two select subcommittees to stop the weaponization of the federal government and finally get answers to the COVID origins and the federal government’s gain of function research that contributed to the pandemic.
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) January 24, 2023
I'm proud to announce the members: pic.twitter.com/TnQnOX8fo9
Several members of the members mentioned above are medical professionals, including Chairman Wenstrup, Reps. Miller-Meeks, Joyce, and Jackson. Late last December, Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee released a report looking into the origins of COVID. Wenstrup serves on that committee as well, and led a press call at the time discussing their findings, while also expressing their hope to get to the bottom of finding out more.
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The existence of the select subcommittees has drawn strong ire from Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blasted the select subcommittees earlier on CNN this month. "You know what the American people want us to do--they want us to do things to make their lives better," he declared, claiming " they don’t want just Congress to investigate."
Rolling Stone's Kara Voght also dismissed the need for their existence as a matter of conspiracy theories in a particularly selective piece from last week.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, told reporters that Democrats intend to name members. "It is our intent to seat members on … every select committee, every subcommittee that the leadership on the majority side advances," he said, as highlighted by The Hill.
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