Congressional Republicans have expressed concern in recent months that they’ll lose control of either chamber of Congress to Democrats. A Sunday report by Axios sheds light on just how concerned they are.
The outlet published a list, which it said had circulated in spreadsheet form “through Republican circles on and off Capitol Hill — including at least one leadership office,” detailing the subjects on which Democrats have called for investigations since Trump’s inauguration.
With the majority in either chamber, Democrats would have the power, in the form of committee chairmanships, to pursue their investigative interests. Axios’ Jonathan Swan said he was told that the spreadsheet originated in a “senior House Republican'”s office.
Axios reported the spreadsheet catalogs “more than 100 formal requests from House Democrats this Congress.”
“Some of the probes it predicts,” Axios reported, are the following:
- President Trump’s tax returns
- Trump family businesses — and whether they comply with the Constitution’s emoluments clause, including the Chinese trademark grant to the Trump Organization
- Trump’s dealings with Russia, including the president’s preparation for his meeting with Vladimir Putin
- The payment to Stephanie Clifford — a.k.a. Stormy Daniels
- James Comey’s firing
- Trump’s firing of U.S. attorneys
- Trump’s proposed transgender ban for the military
- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s business dealings
- White House staff’s personal email use
- Cabinet secretary travel, office expenses, and other misused perks
- Discussion of classified information at Mar-a-Lago
- Jared Kushner’s ethics law compliance
- Dismissal of members of the EPA board of scientific counselors
- The travel ban
- Family separation policy
- Hurricane response in Puerto Rico
- Election security and hacking attempts
- White House security clearances
They’re gonna need a bigger spreadsheet.
How about Wilbur Ross? Probably could go ahead and add that crook to the list.
This list should be in Democratic campaign ads around the country as things the Republicans think are worth investigating but are stonewalling for partisan gain.
Oh, you mean like actual Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch as laid out in the Constitution?
I can’t believe that a GOP talking point for the midterms is “if Democrats win, they will investigate and expose the president’s criminal wrongdoing.” Never mind, I can believe it.
Hmmm. Remarkably, this is a list of probes the GOPers would currently being conducting if they took their constitutional oversight responsibilities seriously.