Political diary: Comer has pledged for months to investigate the Biden family and their business connections. His employee obtained the contents of a laptop owned by Biden Hunterthe president’s son, has a business operation under federal investigation. Mr. Comer and Mr. Jordan held a press conference on Capitol Hill detailing their plan to focus the investigation beyond the younger Biden. “This is the investigation of Joe Biden,” Mr. Comer said.
Origin of the Covid pandemic
Which committees are involved: A special subcommittee of the Oversight Committee, and the Energy and Commerce Committee, is headed by Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Republican of Washington.
Substantive policy questions: Lawmakers say they want to find out whether the US government should fund the so-called research on the benefits of function, a small part of the scientific investigation may involve regulating viruses in a way that could make them more deadly. Such research is at the heart of Republican affirmation that the pandemic could have been caused by a laboratory leak — a suggestion disputed by scientists whose research suggests the outbreak most likely originated in a live animal market in Wuhan, China.
Political diary: Republicans including Mr. Comer and Mr. Jordan have asserted, without evidence, that Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Mr. Biden’s former medical adviser, covered up a lab leak they had may have caused the pandemic. They have repeatedly said that they will investigate Dr. Fauci, a political goals for the Republican party seek to attract Trump voters. Dr. Fauci has said that he has a “completely open” about whether the outbreak originated in a laboratory, but preponderance of evidence shows it to be a natural occurrence.
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China’s Competitiveness
Which committees participate: A new selection committee focused on the strategic competition between the United States and the Chinese government, led by Representative Mike Gallagher, Republican of Wisconsin.
Substantive policy questions: The commission’s purpose is to investigate “the economic, technological, and security progress of the Chinese government, and its competition with the United States.” It will examine a variety of topics, including the United States’ economic dependence on China’s supply chains, national security support for Taiwan, and the Chinese government’s lobbying efforts to influence state and local governments, as well as academic institutions. The panel will then make recommendations on how the United States can avoid being overtaken by China in those areas.
Political diary: The committee has bipartisan support and is unlikely to be politically charged like other Republican-led investigations. Some Democrats, however, worry that focusing too much on China could lead to xenophobic rhetoric fueling anti-Asian sentiment in the United States.
