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The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Week of June 10, 2024

Washington, June 9, 2024
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor this week:
 
Holding AG Garland in Contempt for Failure to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas

On February 5, 2024 Special Counsel Robert Hur released his report on the Biden classified documents probe, revealing that President Biden “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen.” Additionally, Special Counsel Hur observed President Biden experiencing significant memory issues during his interviews, stating that the President’s ‘‘memory was significantly limited,’’ and he ‘‘did not remember when he was vice president,’’ and ‘‘did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died.’’ 

As part of their impeachment inquiry, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, the Judiciary Committee, and the Committee on Ways and Means engaged with the Department of Justice to request more information, documents, materials, and records from the Hur Report relevant to their investigations.

After initial refusals from the Department of Justice to provide said information, the Judiciary and Oversight Committees issued subpoenas to the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland compelling production of these relevant documents and records, including the audio and video of President Biden’s interviews with Special Counsel Hur. However, AG Garland has chosen not to turn over the subpoenaed records. 

Now, the Biden Administration has decided to assert executive privilege over the audio recordings of the President’s interview with Special Counsel Hur. Clearly, President Biden has something to hide, or else why block the release of the audio recordings of his interviews when we already have the transcripts? Once again, President Biden is fighting against transparency for the American people.

If Merrick Garland continues to refuse to comply with Congressional subpoenas and deny American citizens the transparency and information they deserve to determine the truth, he will face the consequences.

H.Res. ___, introduced by Rep. James Comer, recommends that the House of Representatives find U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a Congressional subpoena issued by the Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

H.Res. ___, introduced by Rep. Jim Jordan, recommends that the House of Representatives find U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a Congressional subpoena issued by the Committee on the Judiciary.

House Republicans are committed to holding Merrick Garland accountable and ensuring Americans have full transparency when assessing the leader of their country. 
 

Improving Servicemember Quality of Life and Strengthening Our National Security

As the United States’ national security remains at risk from threats including adversaries like China and President Biden’s wide-open border, the men and women who serve in the United States military defend our freedom and democracy everyday. These servicemembers and their families deserve to be properly supported and provided for by the country they fight to protect. 

Unfortunately, the House Armed Services Committee Quality of Life Panel found that servicemember quality of life has gotten increasingly worse, causing low morale amongst servicemembers, stressing military families, undermining recruitment and retention, and threatening our military readiness. 

Due to insufficient pay and housing allowances, servicemembers and their families have been forced to rely on food stamps and pantries to provide for their families and pay housing costs out of their own pockets. Unaccompanied housing for servicemembers is in terrible condition, exposing occupants to sewage overflows, bedbugs, mold, rats, gas leaks, and brown tap water. Servicemembers and their families are stuck with long wait times for both medical care and childcare. And, 22 percent of military spouses are unemployed thanks to constant movement and difficulty transferring licenses, causing many military families to leave active-duty service.

This year, House Republicans’ National Defense Authorization Act specifically focuses on servicemember quality of life improvement, in addition to strengthening our national security. The FY25 NDAA includes funding for housing maintenance, oversight, and upgrades; expands allowances and gives junior enlisted servicemembers a 19.5 percent raise; reduces healthcare wait times and improves access to childcare; and better supports employment for military spouses.

Additionally, the FY25 NDAA includes many measures to boost our national security by deterring China and preventing CCP espionage, getting rid of affirmative action at service academies, demanding promotions be based on merit, funding National Guard troop deployment at the southern border, defending Israel, and cutting inefficient programs and Pentagon bureaucracy. 


H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, sponsored by Rep. Mike Rogers, strengthens our national security by deterring China, restoring lethality, funding troops at our border, and cracking down on inefficient uses of funds, while also supporting our servicemembers by taking meaningful steps to improve their quality of life. 

Our servicemembers are the backbone of our military and national security – it’s past time the brave men and women defending our nation’s freedom are provided for in the manner they deserve.