(RepublicanNews.org) – Lawmakers with opposing political views often serve together on Congressional committees, but sometimes they go beyond disagreement. The senior Democrat on the House Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government seems to believe the Committee she serves on should not exist.
Democrat Stacey Laskey, representing the Virgin Islands, said there was a difference between legitimate government oversight and “weaponization” of “our committee work.” She seemed to be suggesting that the committee examining the misuse of government against citizens was an example of exactly the type of “weaponization” the committee is examining.
House Republicans formed the committee, chaired by Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, to investigate what they see as the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI targeting conservative Americans. Two of the main issues before the committee are potential collusion between social media giant Twitter and the Biden administration, and accusations that the DOJ targeted parents who protested “woke” policies at school board meetings.
Top Twitter executives were grilled by committee members on February 9th.
On February 10th, Laskey opened the first hearing by saying no one disputes that government oversight can “protect the Republic,” but that she worries her committee will “showcase conspiracy theories and advance an extreme agenda.”
Accusations that a question or a political view constitute a “conspiracy theory” has become an effective way for politicians, media, and interest groups to shut down open inquiry about social and economic issues.
Stacy Laskey was an “impeachment manager” for the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump. She said she worried that the Weaponization Subcommittee will undermine Americans’ faith in democracy by misusing its power in order to “settle scores.”
The first panel hearing the morning of February 10th featured testimony from longtime Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, and from Wisconsin’s Republican Senator Ron Johnson. They were followed by former Democrat-turned-Independent, Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii.
It is not clear how long the Subcommittee will hold hearings or when it will complete its task. Upcoming witnesses are expected to include prominent law professors and former FBI agents concerned with the Bureau’s politicization.
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