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118th US Congress Rules & Investigations The Serious You: How Current Events Affect You
Started 2/11/23 by WALTER784; 40887 views.
Staff
From: WALTER784
2/11/23
H. RES. 64
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Representative Adam Schiff should not have access to classified information, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 26, 2023
Mr. Gaetz submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ethics
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Representative Adam Schiff should not have access to classified information, and for other purposes.
Whereas Representative Adam Schiff served as the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from January 3rd, 2019, to January 3rd, 2023, and as the ranking minority member from January 3rd, 2015, to January 3rd, 2019;
Whereas, in December 2017, Representative Schiff falsely claimed “the Russians offered help, the campaign accepted help, the Russians gave help, and the president made full use of that help” when referring to unsubstantiated claims of collusion between former President Donald J. Trump and Russia during the 2016 election;
Whereas, in January 2019, Representative Schiff claimed there was “clear evidence on the issue of collusion” between the Trump campaign and Russia;
Whereas on March 2019 every Republican Member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence signed a letter stating that they had no confidence in Representative Schiff as Chairman;
Whereas the principal conclusions of the Mueller Report determined there was no criminal collusion between the Trump Campaign and Russia;
Whereas, in November 2020, Representative Schiff contacted Twitter, asking the tech giant to take action against alleged harassers and spreaders of misinformation, including the removal of content created by State Department staffers such as quotes, retweets, and reactions to content that challenged Schiff’s baseless claims of Russian collusion within the Trump campaign;
Whereas, in November 2020, Representative Schiff's office requested that Twitter “stop the spread of future misinformation on Twitter” regarding Committee staff and reduce the visibility of any content he disagreed with;
Whereas Representative Schiff has proven himself untrustworthy by advancing falsities about former President of the United States Donald J. Trump, as relating to unfounded allegations of collusion with the Russian Federation and attempting to cover his abuse of discretions with legislation; and
Whereas Representative Schiff can no longer be trusted by his colleagues in Congress or the American people: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This resolution may be cited as the “Preventing Extreme Negligence with Classified Information Licenses Resolution” or the “PENCIL Resolution”.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF HOUSE.
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that—
(1) Representative Adam Schiff should not have access to classified information;
(2) Representative Adam Schiff should be investigated by the Committee on Ethics for potential collusion with rogue elements of the Department of Defense in an attempt to tarnish the reputation of former President Donald J. Trump; and
(3) any comments made by Representative Adam Schiff during any proceeding of Congress regarding Russian collusion and the Trump campaign be officially struck from the record.
Text - H.Res.64 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): PENCIL Resolution | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
FWIW
Staff
From: WALTER784
2/11/23
H. RES. 69
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the dedication and devotion of law enforcement personnel should be recognized and that calls to “defund”, “disband”, “dismantle”, or “abolish” the police should be condemned.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 27, 2023
Ms. Malliotakis (for herself, Mrs. McClain, Mr. Feenstra, Ms. Salazar, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Mr. Clyde, Mr. Joyce of Pennsylvania, Mr. Carl, Ms. Tenney, Mr. D'Esposito, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mr. Guest, Mr. Issa, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Kean of New Jersey, Mr. Gimenez, Mr. Moolenaar, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, Mr. Finstad, Mr. Baird, Mr. Reschenthaler, Mr. Ciscomani, Mrs. Harshbarger, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Owens, Mr. Bost, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer, Mr. LaLota, Mr. LaHood, Mr. Stauber, Ms. Van Duyne, Mr. Williams of New York, and Mr. Calvert) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the dedication and devotion of law enforcement personnel should be recognized and that calls to “defund”, “disband”, “dismantle”, or “abolish” the police should be condemned.
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the House—
(1) recognizes and appreciates the dedication and devotion demonstrated by the men and women of law enforcement who keep our communities and our Nation safe; and
(2) condemns calls to “defund”, “disband”, “dismantle”, or “abolish” the police.
FWIW
Staff
From: WALTER784
2/11/23
Chairs Rodgers, Griffith, and Guthrie Launch E&C’s 118th Congress COVID-19 Origins Investigation
Feb 02, 2023
Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), and Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) today launched the committee’s investigation into the origins of COVID-19 for the 118th Congress. The members sent letters to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and EcoHealth Alliance for information and documents as well as formally noticing a preservation of documents related to research done at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).
“With more than a million American lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, fully examining all available evidence to have a clearer picture of the origins of COVID-19 is one of the greatest public health responsibilities of our lifetime. For the past two years, Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans have been pursuing an in-depth investigation into the early days of SARS-CoV-2 with an emphasis on the virus’ origins,” said Chairs Rodgers, Griffith, and Guthrie. “Despite severely inadequate cooperation to date from the NIH and EcoHealth, we expect greater responsiveness to our Republican majority—either voluntarily or through the Committee’s authority. As we learned in yesterday’s oversight hearing, the stakes are too high with the growing risks of future pandemics for our nation not to unite behind stronger efforts to investigate the origins of pandemics. We will continue to pursue the facts related to how NIH spends taxpayer dollars and to what extent it was involved in potentially dangerous research in a hostile nation within a lab that was not at an adequate biosafety level. Bringing the truth to light is crucial in our efforts to help restore public trust in our government institutions.”
The letters come in the lead up to a February 8, 2023, joint Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and Subcommittee on Health hearing titled: “The Federal Response to COVID-19” at which Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., PhD., Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director at the NIH, is confirmed to testify.
KEY NIH LETTER EXCERPT:
“The COVID-19 pandemic is a catastrophic biological incident resulting so far in the deaths of more than a million Americans and more than 6 million people worldwide. The threat of similar pandemics is increasing. As the Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted, globalization, climate change, and urbanization has increased the probability, intensity, and frequency of catastrophic biological incidents. A study in 2021 found a high probability of observing pandemics similar to COVID-19 (probability of experiencing it in one’s lifetime is 38 percent), which may double in coming decades. The global proliferation of high-containment laboratories has similarly increased the probability of a catastrophic biological incident caused by the escape of a pandemic pathogen.“
CLICK HERE to read the full letter to Dr. Tabak.
KEY ECOHEALTH ALLIANCE LETTER EXCERPT:
“As noted by the NIH and in EcoHealth’s correspondence with NIH, EcoHealth failed to obtain laboratory notebooks and electronic files of transgenic mice experiment(s) conducted by the WIV as a research activity supported by the NIH grant. This material failure violated the NIH grant terms and conditions. There is no evidence that the work from the experiment(s) was ever published. There is no substantiation of the experiment(s) other than the WIV’s assertions to EcoHealth that included inconsistent and incomplete data representations. Thus, there was no scientific work product produced for the American taxpayers who helped finance these efforts, and no useful information to support pandemic preparedness efforts. Further, EcoHealth's lack of monitoring of the WIV research in accordance with NIH grant terms presented additional biosafety risks, raising questions about the possibility that WIV biosafety lapses could have contributed to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
House Committee on Energy and Commerce
FWIW
Staff
From: WALTER784
2/11/23
House Republicans Establish New Select Subcommittees Focused on Pandemic and “Weaponization of the Federal Government”
January 12, 2023
On January 9, 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted its rules package1 for the 118th Congress (“House Rules”) by a vote of 220 to 213. While much attention has been given to the provisions that would significantly limit the traditional power enjoyed by the Speaker of the House2, the House Rules contain a number of provisions that will shape the House Republicans’ oversight agenda and investigative priorities in the new Congress. Most notably, the House Rules and accompanying authorizing resolution establish two new select investigative subcommittees:
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic as a select investigative subcommittee of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability3 (H. Res. 5 § 4(a)); and
The House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government as a select investigative subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary (H. Res. 12).4
Republican leaders of key House committees, including incoming Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Oversight and Accountability Chair James Comer (R-KY) have publicly stated that the Biden Administration will be their primary oversight target in the new Congress. However, private sector stakeholders should also anticipate being targeted for investigation, directly or collaterally. Last Congress, Rep. Comer launched multiple COVID-19 inquiries while serving as Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee (now renamed “Oversight and Accountability”)5, including, for example, investigating research facilities and universities that participated in gain-of-function research.6 In December 2022, former House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jordan sent letters to the leading technology and social media companies requesting information about the “nature and extent of your companies’ collusion with the Biden Administration.”7
Although the select subcommittees are formally part of the House Oversight and Accountability and House Judiciary Committees, respectively, they have broad investigative functions and authorities that empower them to conduct active and aggressive oversight.
THE HOUSE SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is the Republican response to the “House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis” established by the Democratic majority in April 2020 during the pandemic (emphasis added). Pursuant to its authorizing resolution, the Democratic-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis issued its final report in December 2022.8 Aside from his primary focus on the origins of COVID, incoming House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman Comer has announced other priorities, such as investigating technology and social media companies’ engagement with federal agencies in responding to the pandemic. In a December 27, 2022 tweet, Comer stated, “Big Tech shouldn't be in the business of hiding facts. Americans deserve the truth about the origins of COVID-19. It is our Constitutional duty to conduct oversight & thoroughly examine the facts so this type of risky research & bad behavior never happens again.”9
Under the House Rules, the new select subcommittee will have broad jurisdiction and resources, as detailed below, albeit somewhat more limited in comparison to its Democratic-led predecessor.10 Nevertheless, private sector entities in particular should take note of the following Subcommittee functions and authorities:
- Investigative Functions: The Select Subcommittee is authorized and directed to investigate and report on:
Origins of the Coronavirus pandemic, including federal funding of gain-of-function research;
Waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer funds in pandemic relief programs;
Vaccine development and treatment; and
Executive branch policies and actions, including internal and external communications, related to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Investigative Authorities:
Subpoena Power: Unlike its Democratic-led predecessor in the last Congress, the Select Subcommittee does not have subpoena authority, only the full Committee may authorize and issue subpoenas.
Deposition Authority: Select Subcommittee counsel are authorized to conduct depositions without a Select Subcommittee Member present.
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Staff
From: WALTER784
2/11/23
Comer Widens Investigation into Biden’s Involvement in His Family’s Business Schemes
Published: Feb 9, 2023
Calls on Hunter and James Biden, Eric Schwerin to provide documents, records, and communications
WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is calling on Hunter Biden, James Biden, and Eric Schwerin to provide documents, communications, and records related to President Biden’s involvement in his family’s business schemes.
“Hunter Biden, James Biden, and Eric Schwerin are key witnesses in our investigation of Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s international and domestic business schemes. Evidence obtained in our investigation reveals the Biden family business model is built on Joe Biden’s political career and connections. Biden family members attempted to sell access around the world, including individuals who were connected to the Chinese Communist Party, to enrich themselves to the detriment of American interests. If President Biden is compromised by deals with foreign adversaries and they are impacting his decision making, this is a threat to national security.
“The American people deserve transparency and accountability about the Biden family’s influence peddling. The Oversight Committee is committed to exposing the waste, fraud, and abuse that has taken place at the highest levels of our government. Hunter Biden, James Biden, and Eric Schwerin’s documents, records, and communications are critical to this investigation,” said Chairman Comer.
The Oversight Committee is investigating President Biden’s knowledge of and role in his family’s foreign business deals to assess whether he has compromised national security. Additionally, the Committee will examine drafting legislation to strengthen federal ethics laws regarding public officials and their families. The Committee will also analyze and make recommendations regarding federal laws and regulations to ensure that financial institutions have the proper internal controls and compliance programs to alert federal agencies of potential money laundering activity.
The letters sent can be found in the link below:
FWIW
Staff
From: WALTER784
2/11/23
Biden, Hunter make presidential history as first father-son duo under separate investigations
Published January 20, 2023 12:00pm EST
Special counsel investigating Biden's improper retention of classified records, as US attorney investigates Hunter's tax affairs and foreign business dealings
Former Hunter Biden business partner speaks out on planned House probe
Tony Bobulinski joins 'Hannity' to sound off on Rep. James Comer, R-Ky.'s investigatory plans.
President Biden and his son Hunter have made history as the first president-son duo to be simultaneously – but separately – under federal investigation.
Attorney General Merrick Garland last week appointed former U.S. Attorney Robert Hur as special counsel to investigate the president’s possible unauthorized removal and improper retention of classified documents and records discovered at the Penn Biden Center in Washington D.C., and in his private residence in Wilmington, Delaware.
Separately, Hunter Biden has been under federal investigation since 2018 for his tax affairs – an investigation that was predicated, in part, by suspicious activity reports (SARs) regarding some foreign transactions. Those SARs, according to sources familiar with the investigation, involved funds from "China and other foreign nations."
WHITE HOUSE REFUSES TO SAY IF BIDEN WOULD SIT FOR INTERVIEW WITH SPECIAL COUNSEL IN CLASSIFIED RECORDS PROBE
President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden are both under federal investigation, a presidential first. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)
"This is the first time that in American history we have a sitting president and one of his children – in this case, his son – who are under formal investigation in the United States," Heritage Foundation President Dr. Kevin Roberts, a historian of early American history, told Fox News Digital. "In thinking about this, investigating it, and putting all politics aside, I cannot think of an example that even gets close to this."
"I think it is important that as Americans strive to get out of the morass of current politics, and especially the unethical nature it seems of this current administration, that we realize the truth first," Roberts continued. "And in this case, the truth hurts."
It is also the first time in presidential history that a sitting president – Biden – and a former president – Donald Trump, who is running again for the White House in 2024 – are separately, but at the same time, under special counsel investigation for the same matter: retention of classified records.
Former President Trump and President Joe Biden
In November, Garland appointed former DOJ official Jack Smith as special counsel to investigate Trump’s retention of classified records at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, after the FBI conducted an unprecedented raid, seizing documents bearing classification markings, some of which were "top secret."
"It speaks to the era we’re in," Roberts said.
This is the second time Trump has been at the center of a special counsel investigation. During his administration, Special Counsel Robert Mueller was chosen to investigate whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.
Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., faced criticism for a meeting he held at Trump Tower in New York City with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in the summer of 2016.
President-elect Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump at a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Music publicist Rob Golstone offered to broker the get-together with Veselnitskaya, writing in an email that she could provide "very high level and sensitive information" or "dirt" compromising former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s election chances.
"If it’s what you say, I love it," Trump Jr. wrote in response.
That meeting came under scrutiny in Mueller's investigation. But Trump Jr. was never named a subject or target of that special counsel probe, which, after nearly two years of investigating, yielded no evidence of criminal cons
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Host
From: Showtalk
2/11/23
Summary so far (as brief as possible)
1. Reduce spending and increase accountability
2. Impeach Mayorkas
3. Hold China accountable for Covid 19 and ask for $16 billion repayment
4. To investigate and submit policy recommendations on the status of the Chinese Communist Party’s economic, technological, and security progress and its competition with the United States
5. Study weaponization of the federal government
6. Give power to the States to control their own borders and cartel related activities going on within their borders
7. Stop Adam Schiff’s access to classified documents and information
8. Condemn calls to defund or dismantle police
9. Investigate Biden family businesses and practices
Host
From: Showtalk
2/11/23
Are they going to do anything about the Jan 6 committee or the illegal actions taken against Republicans, including Trump?
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