After winning the House, Republicans pivot from gas prices to gaslighting

Now that Republicans have officially clinched a slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, they have just one priority. It’s apparently not inflation, or anything else they emphasized during the midterms.

As it turns out, Republicans are most concerned about Joe Biden.

Less than 24 hours after the House was called in their favor, GOP leaders announced they would use their new oversight powers to launch a slew of frivolous investigations, tackling everything from Hunter Biden to the alleged “politicization” of the U.S. Department of Justice.

There’s also plans to investigate things like the COVID-19 pandemic and Biden’s withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. The New York Times further reported that a group of right-wing lawmakers “extracted a promise” to investigate Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Justice Department for their treatment of Jan. 6 defendants in a D.C. jail. A GOP majority could even try to impeach Biden and members of his administration.

That Republicans would take it upon themselves to wage political warfare against the current president and his allies is not exactly a surprise — these sentiments have been reflected in their rhetoric for years. But it is insulting to voters in North Carolina and across the country, who deserve representatives who are in the business of policymaking, not partisan games.

“I want to be clear: This is an investigation of Joe Biden, and that’s where the committee will focus in this next Congress,” Rep. James Comer, who is expected to chair the House Oversight and Reform Committee, told reporters.

North Carolina Republicans seem to be on board with their party’s antics. Rep. Virginia Foxx stood alongside Comer and other Republican committee members at the press conference announcing the Hunter Biden probe. Rep. Dan Bishop, whose Twitter profile header shows him with a T-shirt that says “Hunter Biden Is A Crook,” has been sharing tweets about the investigations. Bishop is a member of the Judiciary Committee, which has already requested documents and witness testimony from the Justice Department, the FBI and the Department of Education.

Hunter Biden is, of course, under investigation by the Justice Department for his personal business dealings, but that’s a matter for federal authorities — not Congress. Republicans know there is little merit to their probe, but it doesn’t matter so long as it makes a spectacle. Tweets from the House Republicans Twitter account fall somewhere between crazed and comical, with statements like “Hunter Biden’s laptop is REAL” and “Joe Biden is the BIG GUY.”

There’s an element of revenge here: Democrats went after Donald Trump with the Jan. 6 committee and impeachment, so Republicans are hungry for payback. But there’s a difference between investigating obvious wrongdoing, such as an attempt to overturn an election, and inventing wrongdoing to investigate because ... politics.

Whatever happened to, you know, actual governing? Republicans campaigned on the idea that they were the party best equipped to deal with pressing issues like inflation, rising gas prices and crime. Voters took them at their word. Now that Republicans have gotten their hands on some power, though, there seems to be little appetite for addressing the problems they emphasized on the campaign trail.

Yes, it will be virtually impossible for the GOP to pass legislation unilaterally. Power in Washington will remain divided for at least the next two years, with Democrats controlling the Senate and the presidency and Republicans controlling the House. Passing any kind of legislation will inevitably require compromise and bipartisan cooperation. But Republicans aren’t interested in that — they’re more interested in obstructing progress and widening an already too-deep partisan divide.

That’s troubling. By crushing all expectations of a red wave in the midterms, voters clearly rejected the Republican Party’s increased tendencies toward hyperpartisanship and extremism. But Republicans aren’t taking the hint — they’ve become a party hellbent on grandstanding and political vendettas.

What’s most upsetting, though, is the GOP’s apparent unwillingness to even attempt anything constructive with their congressional power. Unnecessary and unserious investigations aren’t going to help Americans afford groceries, or pay for a doctor’s visit, or be able to rely on child care. That’s the job that elected officials are supposed to do. Republicans aren’t acting like they care about doing it.

This story was originally published November 19, 2022 at 4:00 AM with the headline "After winning the House, Republicans pivot from gas prices to gaslighting."