House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) announced the formation of a new coronavirus oversight committee led by House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D., S.C.), who last month said the pandemic gives Democrats “a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision.”
The speaker’s announcement on Thursday comes as her caucus plots another relief package, with a national vote-by-mail requirement as a top priority. Pelosi faced criticism in March after stalling the then-proposed stimulus bill in favor of her own version, which included increased fuel emissions standards for airlines, an expansion of wind and solar credits, and vote-by-mail provisions. President Donald Trump called the Democrat’s proposal “crazy.”
Pelosi said Thursday the committee would monitor the billions in federal money spent fighting the virus and would have subpoena power. House Republicans immediately expressed concern over Clyburn’s participation, arguing that his March remarks indicate he is looking to use the pandemic as a pretext to advance Democratic policy goals.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) on Thursday said he is concerned by the choice. “[The committee] is concerning to me because Congressman Clyburn is the one who thought this crisis was an opportune time to restructure government,” McCarthy said in a conference call with reporters. “That’s not what we should be doing.”
Pelosi said in a Thursday conference call that the committee would ensure the $2 trillion in coronavirus relief is “spent carefully and effectively,” but McCarthy indicated that Republicans were given few details on the committee, which will need to be approved by Congress before it is launched. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --