By Steve Neavling
The Republican-led House narrowly voted on Tuesday to launch an investigation into the FBI, Justice Department and other federal agencies involved in the probe of former President Trump and his supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
With all Democrats opposed, the vote was 221 to 211 to create the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, The New York Times reports.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a staunch supporter of Trump, will chair the panel. He said the goal was in “protecting the First Amendment.”
Republicans, once the party of law and order, allege federal law enforcement has become politicized.
“We don’t want to go after anyone,” Jordan said. “We just want it to stop.”
The creation of the panel enables Republicans to seek access to highly classified documents and inside information on criminal inquiries.
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., compared the panel to the House Un-American Activities Committee, which investigated Americans accused of being sympathetic to communism.
“I call it the McCarthy committee, and I’m not talking about Kevin; I’m talking about Joe,” Mr. McGovern said, adding: “This committee is nothing more than a deranged ploy by the MAGA extremists who have hijacked the Republican Party and now want to use taxpayer money to push their far-right conspiracy nonsense.”
