Congress to return to DC with renewed focus on Biden admin investigations

Lawmakers in both chambers are returning to Capitol Hill this week for the first time since the start of the 118th Congress—with Republicans in the House of Representatives planning to hone in on their investigations into President Biden, his family and areas of his presidency.

With House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the helm, top Republicans on critical committees have kept the promise they made to voters and have already launched extensive probes into the Biden administration.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, launched his first formal investigation into the president’s “mishandling” of classified records and the Justice Department’s investigation into the matter.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS KEEPING PROMISE TO LEAD EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATIONS INTO BIDEN ADMIN

After a second stash of classified documents was found inside the garage of Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, home, Attorney General Merrick Garland escalated the Justice Department’s ongoing review to a formal special counsel probe, and chose former U.S. Attorney Robert Hur to lead the investigation.

The first documents were found inside the Washington D.C., offices of the Penn Biden Center think tank on Nov. 2, 2022. Additional classified documents were found at Biden’s Delaware home as recently as over the weekend, the White House counsel’s office said.

The FBI conducted a 12-hour search of Biden’s Delaware home Friday, seizing “six items” containing documents with classification markings, Biden’s personal attorney Bob Bauer said. Bauer did not disclose the exact number of classified documents found during the search.

Jordan is questioning not only Biden’s “mishandling” and “unauthorized possession” of classified documents, but also the “circumstances” of the appointment of Hur as special counsel.

JIM JORDAN LAUNCHES FIRST INVESTIGATION AS JUDICIARY CHAIR INTO BIDEN CLASSIFIED DOCS SCANDAL

Jordan is also questioning the alleged concealment of the information by the DOJ, especially as the White House has admitted that the first batch of classified records were found at the Penn Biden Center in November 2022 – before the midterm elections – and not publicly disclosed until January.

Jordan also plans to investigate the leak of the draft Supreme Court decision that signaled the overturning of Roe v. Wade after the high court’s formal investigation failed to identify the culprit. He also successfully established a new Judiciary subcommittee – the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government – which he will chair.

HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE LEAK OF SUPREME COURT OPINION AFTER SCOTUS WHIFFS

The House Intelligence Committee, led by Mike Turner, R-Ohio, also plans to investigate Biden’s mishandling of classified documents.

Earlier this month, Turner demanded a briefing from Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines by Jan. 26 on the matter.

Separately, Turner also plans to use the House Intelligence Committee to investigate the origins of COVID-19. Lawmakers on the panel are concerned that the Biden administration’s unclassified report on the origins of COVID-19 does not accurately reflect information outlined in the classified version. Members have demanded the administration explain the differences between the classified report and the unclassified report.

INTEL HEAD TURNER DEMANDS DOJ, ODNI BRIEFING INTO BIDEN’S ‘MISHANDLING’ OF CLASSIFIED DOCS

Turner also plans to investigate the intelligence community’s surveillance of domestic extremism.

Meanwhile, over at the House Oversight Committee, Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is leading an investigation into the Biden family’s domestic and international business dealings.

Comer said investigating how the Biden family “peddled influence and access around the world for profit” is a “top priority” for the new GOP House majority.

Specifically, Comer is leading an investigation into the president’s son, Hunter Biden, and Big Tech’s suppression of damaging information on the Biden family businesses ahead of the 2020 election.

BIDEN, HUNTER MAKE PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY AS FIRST FATHER-SON DUO UNDER SEPARATE INVESTIGATIONS

Comer has already written to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen demanding details about questionable business dealings involving Hunter Biden, his associates and other Biden family members that have been flagged by U.S. financial institutions.

The lawmaker also sent letters earlier this month to former top Twitter executives Yoel Roth, Vijaya Gadde and James Baker, inviting them to participate in a committee hearing the week of Feb. 6 to investigate their “role in suppressing Americans’ access to information about the Biden family on Twitter shortly before the 2020 election.”

JORDAN SEEKS TESTIMONY FROM GARLAND, WRAY, OTHERS IN HOUSE JUDICIARY PROBES OF DOJ, FBI

Fox News first reported in December 2020 that Hunter Biden was a subject/target of the grand jury investigation, a well-placed government source told Fox News. 

Trump-appointed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss is leading the federal investigation into Hunter Biden. President Biden has repeatedly denied speaking to Hunter about his business dealings. 

Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson are also conducting inquiries into Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings as well, and have been since 2019.

HUNTER BIDEN PROBE: 2022 MARKED FOURTH YEAR — AND COUNTING — OF INVESTIGATION

Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee’s first hearing under Comer’s leadership will be focused on the Biden administration’s border policies. 

Also up coming is the bipartisan work of the House China Select Committee. McCarthy chose Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., to chair the panel, which is set to focus on threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to U.S. national security.

House Republicans and Democrats joined forces and voted overwhelming in favor of the creation of the new committee.