Big Tech is a top target for GOP majority

Speaker McCarthy meets reporters at Statuary Hall early Saturday after being sworn in. Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images

House Republicans plan to launch a new investigative panel this week that will seek copies of White House emails, memos and other communications with Big Tech companies, top sources tell Axios.

Why it matters: Speaker Kevin McCarthy plans a series of red-meat moves and announcements to reward the hard-liners who backed him in his gruesome war on the ankle.

The new panel, the Select Subcommittee on Armaments of the Federal Government, is partly a response to revelations by Elon Musk in internal documents he dubbed the “Twitter Files.”

House conservatives requested the subcommittee. McCarthy gave it while working to wrangle votes.

What we’re hearing: The subcommittee will be chaired by House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan — a close McCarthy ally and favorite of the right.

The probe into communications between the tech giants and President Biden’s aides will seek government pressure that may have resulted in censorship or harassment of conservatives — or shutting down debate on polarizing policies, including the CDC’s over COVID. The document request will be followed by “due process,” including subpoenas if necessary, a GOP source told Axios. In December, Jordan wrote letters to tech platforms asking for information about “covert cooperation” with the Biden administration to censor conservatives on their platforms.

The subcommittee’s main target is what Republicans call the “politicization of the FBI,” including examining the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The subcommittee will also examine Anthony Fauci and his approach to COVID misinformation and misinformation … the Department of Justice’s interaction with local school boards on masking and other COVID policies … and the Department of Homeland Security’s failed attempt to established a Disinformation Governing Board.

Ian Sams, a White House spokesman on investigations, tweeted last month after news of the committee was released:

“House Republicans continue to make it clear that they are focused on empty political stunts … rather than working with [Biden] or congressional Democrats to take on issues that Americans care about like dealing with inflation.”

Zoom out: McCarthy, 57, signaled aggressive plans in his victory speech only after he finally won the race late Saturday:

“We will pass bills to fix the nation’s urgent challenges — from open southern borders, to the latest American energy policies, to smart indoctrination in our schools,” he said. “We will also address long-term challenges.” of America – debt and the rise of the Chinese Communist Party, he said, vowing to “hold the Swamp accountable” – from withdrawing [from] Afghanistan on the origin of COVID and the weaponization of the FBI.”

One of the most aggressive panels will be the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, which will change its name under Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

On NBC’s “Meet the Press” yesterday, Comer laid out his plans to hold hearings on “exploding the influence of the Biden family,” telling Chuck Todd:[L]Let me be clear — we’re not investigating Hunter Biden, we’re investigating Joe Biden.”

McCarthy said the new bipartisan Select Committee on China will “investigate how to bring back the hundreds of thousands of jobs that went to China.”

Bottom line: This is all an attempt by the Republicans to show unity after the collapse of parliament.