House Oversight is living up to its reputation as the committee that “never sleeps,” with Chairman James Comer (R-KY) leveraging unified GOP control of Washington to flex his investigative powers.
Since the new Congress began in January, the committee has launched a major investigation into President Joe Biden’s apparent mental decline, including his aides’ use of an autopen, as well as growing inquiries into the Epstein files, Democratic fundraising, and, most recently, D.C. crime statistics.
The tempo is familiar to ex-Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), who ran the Oversight Committee in the final years of the Obama administration.
“It’s become the new standard, there’s always somebody doing something stupid somewhere,” he told the Washington Examiner. “The Oversight Committee has no bounds to its jurisdiction.”
The ballooning portfolio builds on the work that Republicans have undertaken since 2023, when they reclaimed the House majority and with it the Oversight Committee’s subpoena power.
But the GOP now has virtually unfettered access to administration documents with President Donald Trump in the White House and a Justice Department that is more willing to pursue contempt charges against officials who refuse to cooperate.
The committee has conducted 11 interviews thus far for its investigation into whether Biden’s inner circle hid his mental decline from the public, with three more on the books. Comer has simultaneously opened an inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier accused of running a sex trafficking ring for the country’s elite.
The latter investigation has divided Republicans who see Democratic calls for transparency as an effort to make the administration look bad, but Comer has worked in conjunction with the Justice Department to begin releasing documents.
He announced this past week that the committee will hear from Alexander Acosta, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, who granted Epstein what many believe was a “sweetheart deal.” The transcribed interview is set to take place on Sept. 19.
The committee has developed a reputation for political theater over the years and attracts firebrands on both sides of the aisle. But the committee also undertakes a serious oversight function backed up by the force of law.
The committee has issued dozens of subpoenas since January as it conducts public hearings and gathers closed-door testimony.
“Republicans are committed to ensuring a federal government that is effective, efficient, transparent, and accountable to the American people,” Comer, the Oversight chairman, told the Washington Examiner.
“Our oversight is producing results: we’ve ended taxpayer subsidies for NPR and PBS; exposed the cover-up of President Biden’s cognitive decline and unauthorized executive actions; held Democrat sanctuary mayors and governors accountable for jeopardizing public safety; and protected taxpayer dollars from federal boondoggles like California’s high-speed rail project. We will continue fighting for the American taxpayer to safeguard their hard-earned money,” he continued.
The investigations over Epstein and Biden’s mental acuity have drawn the most national attention and are among the most expansive of this Congress, but Comer has launched a bevy of inquiries of interest to Republicans and Trump’s MAGA base.
Comer has joined the House Judiciary Committee to issue subpoenas in relation to ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising platform. The committees say the organization “made its fraud-prevention rules ‘more lenient’ twice in 2024 — even though there is extensive fraud on the platform, including from foreign sources.”
A more recent investigation launched by House Oversight looks at the alleged manipulation of crime data in Washington, D.C., and follows Trump’s federalization of the district’s police force.
Comer, who announced the investigation this past Monday, is requesting documents and transcribed interviews with the commanders of all seven patrol districts.
The investigation comes after Trump placed MPD “under direct federal control” and deployed National Guard troops in the capital to clamp down on crime. Earlier this year, the MPD put District Commander Michael Pulliam on paid administrative leave for allegedly falsifying crime data deliberately. Pulliam has denied the allegations.
Along with the investigations, the committee has also held several hearings since Congress began back in January.
A subcommittee held a hearing looking at taxpayer money that went toward partially funding NPR and PBS, two public broadcasting networks that Republicans have accused of a left-leaning bias. The GOP-led Congress later went on to cut their funding through a rescissions package in July.
House Oversight also held a hearing looking at the declassification of thousands of pages related to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination after filmmaker Oliver Stone called on Congress to reopen an investigation.
The expansive investigative focus has been a hallmark of the committee for years, and when Democrats were in control, they similarly scrutinized the Trump administration, including the president’s business dealings.
But Chaffetz noted that the committee has not always been such a magnet for controversy. In terms of hearings, the panel has become a venue for lawmakers seeking viral moments, and last year, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) got into an all-out name-calling match that gained millions of views across social media.
“It was a fairly sleepy committee until I got involved and became the chairman, and I think it demonstrated that there’s more than enough material to keep them busy 12 months of the year,” said Chaffetz.
“It’s a big credit to President Trump and Speaker Johnson, as well as Chairman Comer. If any one of those three tried to slow it down, it would not be as vibrant as it is today,” he added.
As far as workload, Chaffetz recalled how the committee was a marathon for lawmakers, staffers, and reporters alike.
“The staff is a bit worn out, but it’s also invigorating when you’re on to something that people really care about, and these are some of the hottest topics in Washington, D.C.,” Chaffetz said.
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“The reporters that have to cover it haven’t been able to take a break,” he continued. “The chairman hasn’t been able to take a break. It’s what they signed up for. Nobody’s going to shed any tears that public servants are having to work hard.”
House Oversight Democrats did not respond to the Washington Examiner for comment.
Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.