Scalise Tells House Committee Chairs to 'Maximize Our Remaining Days in Power' and Build a Defense Against Democratic Investigations, Fox News Reports
In a letter obtained by Fox News, the House majority leader gives chairs three steps: inventory probes, identify Democratic targets and review privilege rulings. Judiciary Democrats call it a list of what Republicans protected.
House Republican leaders are preparing now for the investigations Democrats have promised, Fox News reports.
The letter. Majority Leader Steve Scalise wrote to the current House committee chairs on Thursday, in a letter a source gave Fox News Digital. He told them to "maximize our remaining days in power to prepare for what is coming." Scalise wrote that House Democrats "have signaled they intend to impeach President Trump, but they will not stop there," and that they "will weaponize every single gavel to appease their radical base," using oversight to "harass the President, his family, cabinet officials, and they will seek to destroy our allies."
The three steps. Fox lists the guidance: take inventory of current and likely investigations while Democrats are still in the minority; identify who is on Democrats' target list; and review how recent Supreme Court rulings and a Justice Department memo on executive privilege could bear on future probes. Scalise said Democrats could target "administration officials, programs and authorities, and external allies, including conservative partners and industry leaders." He said his staff would meet with the committees and asked chairs to say what other support they need.
The other side. Fox recalls that Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the likely next Oversight chairman, put out a two-word statement Tuesday night: "Lawyer up." His committee's statement said he will take on "the Trump Crime Family, corporate corruption, DHS and ICE abuses, and the cover-up of the Epstein files." Fox says House Homeland Security Democrats are preparing to look at Secretary Markwayne Mullin. A spokeswoman for House Judiciary Democrats answered Scalise's letter this way: "Sounds like Rep. Scalise is asking his fellow Republicans to compile a list of all the corruption, lawlessness, and abuse they've been protecting from congressional oversight. But the people have spoken, and the cover-up expires with the Republican majority."
The leadership race. Fox notes the letter came a day after Scalise launched a bid for minority leader, where he faces Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan. Our earlier story covers both bids and the Tuesday vote.
Why it matters here. The letter shows Republicans treating the coming Congress as a fight over oversight, with a plan that starts before they lose the gavels. Both sides' quotes are political statements. Neither names a specific investigation or a deadline.
What we could not check. We read Fox's account and quotes, not the letter itself. Fox says it asked House Oversight Democrats for comment and does not report a reply.