Today, House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans delivered the following opening remarks during a markup of 18 Republican-led “Resolutions of Inquiry” that would require the administration to provide certain documentation for oversight of the Biden administration’s handling of crises such as surging inflation, rising energy costs, empty store shelves, chaos at the border, and record-high fentanyl poisonings and deaths.
Excerpts and highlights from their prepared remarks:
Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA):
“Today, we will be considering 18 Resolutions of Inquiry, or ROIs, led by Energy and Commerce as well as other House Republicans.
“This unprecedented number of ROIs is due to the unprecedented lack of accountability, transparency, and respect from this administration.
“We are the elected representatives of the people. It’s our constitutional responsibility to hold the administration accountable and seek answers on behalf of those we serve.
“The documents we need include documents on:
- “How President Biden’s reckless, radical agenda has led to record-high inflation, skyrocketing energy and food prices, electricity blackouts and empty store shelves;
- “How an open border agenda and government enforced COVID-19 restrictions increased overdoses and deaths of despair from fentanyl poisonings;
- “And how his socialist price controls will lead to fewer cures and an increased reliance on Chinese medical supply chains.
“It’s unacceptable, especially given the trillions of dollars that Democrats and the President have spent the last two years causing our cost of living to increase thousands of dollars, gas prices, buying groceries, inflation.
[…]
“We have not held the basic oversight hearings about the administration’s pandemic response, out-of-control spending, the fentanyl crisis killing a record number of people, and the war on American energy that has increased prices, shut down jobs, and threatened people’s ability to keep lights on.
“We are the duly-elected representatives of the people in the greatest experiment in self-governance the world has ever known. I ask that today that we join together in reporting these ROIs favorably.
“Send a message to the Biden administration that skirting their responsibility must stop.
“The hardworking people of this country like the parents who can’t find baby formula, the pipeline worker out of a job, the mom who can’t afford her groceries or electricity bills, and the parents who lost a child to a fentanyl poisoning will get answers. They deserve accountability and answers.
“And, I hope we can come together on behalf of them.”
Communications and Technology Subcommittee Republican Leader Bob Latta (R-OH):
“At a time when our country is battling crippling inflation, a labor shortage, and historic crime rates, the Biden administration continues to ignore the realities of the state of our nation.
“This Committee has a duty to conduct oversight of the Biden administration. In the Communications and Technology space, we oversee the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA).
“Yet at a time when the Biden Administration has given unprecedented amounts of funding and authority to both of these agencies, this Committee has slacked on its duty.
“Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson of NTIA and Chairwoman Rosenworcel of the FCC have appeared before this Committee once. In two years.
“This is reckless. It is a dereliction of duty by this Committee to seek answers about how taxpayer money is getting spent, or policies are being implemented.
“Instead, my Democrat colleagues chose to spend their time pressuring media outlets and colluding with Big Tech to censor conservative viewpoints.”
[…]
“That is fundamentally un-American.
“Today we will consider two resolutions of inquiry sponsored by Mr. Carter and Mr. Bishop to finally get information about the Biden administration’s attempts to silence conservative voices.”
Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Brett Guthrie (R-KY):
“The theme of today’s hearing is pretty clear: America isn’t working. For almost two years, Democrats in Washington, led by the Biden administration, have caused crisis after crisis, each fueled by reckless spending and a Washington-knows-best approach to governing.
“We have record high inflation, despite the President trying to spin that inflation has relatively ‘leveled off’ and ‘been basically even.’
“We have a historic number of illegal border crossing that is fueling an unprecedented rise in drug overdoses from synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, entering our country throughout Southern Border.
“We have record-high gas prices, a baby formula shortage that’s left prices high and parents without formula to feed their babies, and most recently an avoidable Monkeypox outbreak.”
[…]
“Although administration officials are not coming before us today, the questions posed in the Resolutions of Inquiry deserve answers.
“Issues such as the role the HHS Secretary, our nation’s top public health official, played and continues to play in the pandemic response.
“We need answers why HHS keeps falling short of its responsibilities and that starts with its leadership. We need to discuss President Biden’s budget request for more pandemic funding, despite saying the pandemic is over and the Democrats first COVID-19 legislation fueling record inflation. We need answers on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We need answers on how this administration plans to address the very real threats posed by illicit drug trafficking and its toll on American lives, and how the Biden administration possibly came to the conclusion that lowering penalties for fentanyl-related substances would help.
“We need answers on the ongoing infant formula crisis and FDA’s plan to ensure this does not happen again.
“I’m hoping that Americans get some of the answers they deserve with these Resolutions of Inquiry.”
Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Republican Leader Gus Bilirakis (R-FL):
“The current state of our country: record high inflation, empty shelves, and nanny state agencies are all direct results of President Biden’s progressive administration.
“However, Republicans on this Committee stand ready to fill this oversight void. Our Resolutions of Inquiry are the first step to holding the Biden administration accountable for their actions.
“These resolutions will help us obtain the facts from the Executive Branch on critical issues such as the energy crisis, the border crisis, the infant formula crisis, and why every American is paying more for everyday goods with inflation through the roof.
“These resolutions will also help us better understand how we can alleviate some of the hardships businesses across the country have faced, like organized retail crime.”
[…]
“This administration seems more focused on regulating main street small businesses than actual solutions, unfortunately.”
Original source can be found here.
