Gay Democratic Rep. Vows to Check Boebert & Greene on Oversight Committee

Author: Christopher Wiggins

Republicans now in control of the House of Representatives and progressive lawmakers fear the GOP will use their slim majority to engage in frivolous investigations into the Biden administration.

With his appointment to the powerful House Oversight and Reform Committee, California’s gay Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia says he will act as a safeguard against such moves by Republicans. The committee works to oversee the “efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of the federal government and all its agencies,” according to its website.

The Democrat announced his appointment to the committee on Twitter yesterday while noting a certain excitement about his opportunity to be a thorn in the side of two outrageous far-right Republican members on the committee.

“I just got appointed to the House Oversight Committee. You can bet that I am going to take on and push back on Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert’s bullsh*t every single day. LFG,” Garcia wrote.

Garcia has not been shy in criticizing some of Congress’s most right-wing members.

The freshman lawmaker is the first out gay immigrant elected to Congress, and in the few weeks that he’s been on Capitol Hill, he’s already made his mark.

In December, he was elected by his peers to be the incoming class president for the Democratic Party — a position that is often a starting-off point for party leadership.

After new members’ swearing-in ceremonies were delayed because of historic dysfunction among Republicans who couldn’t decide on electing a new House speaker until the 15th round of votes, Garcia swore his oath on the Constitution, and photos of his parents, his U.S. citizenship certificate, and a rare first-edition Superman comic book that he loaned from the Library of Congress.

Representatives for the congressman did not immediately respond to an interview request for Garcia.

However, in November, Garcia toldThe Advocate that he was looking forward to joining Congress, particularly to challenge some of the worst anti-LGBTQ+ people elected to federal office.

“[“Marjorie Taylor Greene] is somebody that has zero interest in allowing gay people to live full lives, so I think she shouldn’t be in Congress,” Garcia said. “I think she represents exactly what’s wrong in our country.”

He also had a hunch: “I’m sure she’s not going to like me very much,” he said.

McCarthy appointed vocal conspiracy theorists and anti-LGBTQ+ lawmakers Greene and Boebert to the committee last week.

House Oversight Chair James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, is excited about Georgia’s Greene, Colorado’s Boebert, and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona joining the committee, telling Axios, “it’s probably the most exciting committee” in history.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mocked the unserious nature of the far right-wing lawmakers on a crucial committee like Oversight during a January 18 press briefing.

“It appears that House Republicans have handed over the keys to the most extreme MAGA members of the Republican caucus,” Jean-Pierre said. “These are members who have promoted violent rhetoric and dangerous conspiracy theories, including suggesting violence against political opponents, trafficking in antisemitic lies, and defending and downplaying a violent insurrection against our democracy.”

According to critics, the committee will spend much time on nonsense and political games, especially with people like Boebert, Gosar, and Greene. Republican leaders have announced several investigations: the laptop of Hunter Biden, the country’s pandemic response, and right-wing media complaints about Anthony Fauci.

In an appearance on Newsmax on Friday morning, Comer committed to taking action against DirecTV for removing the channel from its services.

“Congress didn’t hold hearings a year ago for [One America News] because it was OAN and not CNN, and Democrats were in charge in Congress. You’re in charge now. Are you gonna hold hearings for Newsmax?” the network’s anchor Rob Finnerty asked the Republican.

“Yes,” Comer replied. “There’s gonna be a committee that’s gonna hold hearings. We’re sitting, we’re gonna meet later today and try to discuss which committee’s gonna do what. That’s certainly on the agenda. I’m very concerned by this.”

Original Article on The Advocate
Author: Christopher Wiggins