Republicans held their first hearing last week of the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. The session told us a lot about how little to expect from the Republican-led 118th Congress.
GOP lawmakers formed the committee to amplify their claims that the federal government routinely attacks conservatives. Republicans are framing the probe as part of a long congressional tradition of creating ad hoc oversight committees to investigate abuses of power. They have likened their efforts to the Church Committee from the 1970s (chaired by Senator Frank Church), which exposed illegal and improper actions by federal intelligence agencies.
In reality, the “weaponization” committee has nothing in common with the Church Committee or other widely recognized panels like the ones tasked with investigating Watergate or the Jan. 6 insurrection. It was clear that House Republicans intend to play to a very narrow target audience, repeating talking points aimed at conservative media that resonate with their strongest supporters. (1)
