GOP Lawmaker's Two Jobs: Investigating Bidens, Managing Firebrands
By: Natalie Andrews (WSJ)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON—The Republican leading several investigations related to President Biden and his administration faces the dual challenges of keeping the politically charged probes on track while also managing hard-line conservatives eager to put their own stamp on the proceedings.
As part of these probes, Rep. James Comer (R., Ky.) is requesting information and planning hearings to dig into whether the president's son, Hunter Biden, improperly used his family ties to gain wealth or influence. The chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee says the examination is long overdue, after years of Republicans' demands for scrutiny of the family. Democrats criticize the effort as a politically motivated sideshow.
“There’s a sense of urgency for our investigation to be able to determine whether or not this administration is compromised,” Mr. Comer said. He pointed to the first hearing the committee held, on waste and fraud in Covid-19 pandemic relief , as the kind of meat-and-potatoes oversight he likes. “But some members want a little more spice,” he said.
The 50-year-old Republican, who has served in the House since 2016, is one of a handful of lawmakers who will guide GOP-led investigations in the new Congress. He said he is aiming to perform serious oversight while also balancing the demands of a committee stocked with members eager to grab the spotlight. The panel boasts firebrands including Reps. Paul Gosar (R., Ariz.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (R., Colo.), all of whom have called for the House to impeach President Biden.
“God bless him,” Financial Services Chairman Patrick McHenry (R., N.C.) said of the task facing Mr. Comer. “It’s a challenging job—the subject matter is difficult and then managing people’s expectations on what you can achieve, given the time frame you have and the power that you have,” he said.
The White House said Mr. Comer’s focus is wrongheaded. Voters expect leaders to “work together in a bipartisan way on the issues that most impact their lives and their families, not attack [Mr. Biden’s] family with long-debunked conspiracy theories,” said spokesman Ian Sams. Back in January, he said the makeup of the committee set the stage for “divorced-from-reality political stunts.”
Hunter Biden, who is under investigation for possible tax fraud and a statement related to a gun he purchased, hasn’t been charged with any criminal wrongdoing. The Wall Street Journal’s previous reporting found no evidence that Joe Biden had played a role in Hunter Biden’s enterprises or deals, which included a stint on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. The elder Mr. Biden has said he hasn’t been involved in his son’s dealings.
Republicans have a narrow majority in the House , giving them control of committees and investigations for the next two years but little hope for passing new laws, with the Senate and White House controlled by Democrats heading into the 2024 elections. Mr. Comer said he believes he can keep committee Republicans on the same page. He pointed to experiences early in his political career in Monroe County, Ky., where he said he “learned how to bridge the gap between factions.”
In managing his committee, Mr. Comer said he plans to find areas of investigation that each lawmaker can champion. He noted that Ms. Greene didn’t ask to lead a subcommittee in what is her first committee post after Democrats barred her from serving on panels last term over past comments.
“I don’t think she needs a gavel to get her point across—she has what, you know, 1.5 million Twitter followers and I have 40,000,” he said, in a rough estimate of the disparity between their follower counts.
A spokesman for Ms. Greene didn’t respond to an interview request.
“There’s going to be a tightwire act,” said Rep. Nancy Mace (R., S.C.), an oversight member who has clashed with Ms. Greene. Of Mr. Comer, she said: “I knew that he wants our committee to be taken seriously and be substantive. And we’re relying on his leadership to do that.”
Since taking the oversight gavel, Mr. Comer has held three hearings and sent more than 30 letters to the White House, Treasury, government entities and private individuals on investigations requesting information.
Already there have been flashpoints. Mr. Gosar sparked controversy during a hearing on border policy when he cast illegal crossings as potentially part of an effort to change American culture. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the committee, sparred with Mr. Comer over a Democratic tweet that called on committee members to renounce “great replacement theory,” a conspiracy theory that says current Americans are being intentionally replaced by immigrants.
Mr. Raskin said the even-keeled Mr. Comer faces a tough challenge managing his more voluble GOP colleagues.
“I don’t envy his situation, because he is going to have to navigate between a more conventional legislative approach and the demands of the large bevy of new MAGA members who have joined the committee,” Mr. Raskin said, referring to lawmakers who embrace former President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement.
Mr. Comer says he is very interested in scrutinizing the actions of Hunter Biden, ranging from his sales of paintings to his banking transactions. He hosted a freewheeling hearing last week focused on Twitter’s role in suppressing an article about the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop just before the 2020 election. In the hearing, GOP lawmakers pressed former company executives about content-moderation decisions, and Mrs. Greene defended her past tweets and criticized the company for banning her personal account for most of last year. Democrats called the hearing a fishing expedition.
On Thursday, Hunter Biden’s legal team rejected a records request from the committee, arguing that the investigation lacked a valid legislative purpose. Mr. Comer, in a letter, had said the panel was investigating any connection the president had to his son’s business dealings. Mr. Comer also requested a range of communications dating back to 2009 between Hunter Biden and his father and uncle.
Mr. Comer said the letters have laid the groundwork for issuing subpoenas and potentially taking legal action should the Biden administration and others not comply.
Colleagues say Mr. Comer took on two roles when Republicans were in the minority on the House oversight panel. He operated as a Republican attack dog during committee hearings but also helped cut deals with Democrats. Last year, he worked with then-Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D., N.Y.) to enact a postal-service overhaul bill .
“He worked in a positive way behind closed doors,” said Ms. Maloney, who chaired the committee when Democrats were in charge. “I just hope that he doesn’t turn into a partisan warrior and just rant and rage against Democrats.”
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