House Republican leaders are urging committee chairs to prepare for a wave of investigations that Democrats are expected to launch when they take control of the chamber next year.
In a letter sent Thursday, Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana told current committee chairs to use their remaining time in power to get ready. He warned that Democrats had signaled plans to impeach President Trump and would use their investigative authority to target the president, his family, Cabinet officials and allies.
Scalise’s guidance calls on committees to take stock of ongoing and potential investigations, identify people and organizations Democrats may target, and assess how recent Supreme Court decisions and a Justice Department memo on executive privilege could affect future inquiries.
Potential targets, he wrote, could include administration officials, government programs and authorities, as well as outside allies such as conservative groups and industry leaders. Scalise said his staff would coordinate with relevant committees and offer additional support as needed.
Democrats have indicated they intend to investigate the Trump administration, including its Cabinet, family, businesses and allies. Representative Robert Garcia of California, who is expected to lead the House Oversight Committee, wrote “Lawyer up” in a brief statement after Democrats were projected to win the House. The committee said Garcia planned to focus on the Trump family, corporate misconduct, alleged abuses by the Department of Homeland Security and immigration authorities, and the handling of records related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee have also signaled interest in investigating DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
A spokeswoman for House Judiciary Committee Democrats said Scalise appeared to be asking Republicans to document the conduct they had shielded from congressional scrutiny. She added that voters had rejected that approach and said the Republican majority’s “cover-up” would end.
The letter came a day after Scalise announced his bid to become House minority leader. He is expected to face House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio for the position.
