By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The incoming head of the powerful House Judiciary Committee has announced that he intends to begin holding the Obama Administration accountable by increasing oversight and demanding transparency.
WOAI 1200 News is reporting that Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), a 63 year-old veteran Congressman from San Antonio says he’s planning to take on a number of issues when he takes the helm in January.
“Part of that checks and balances is in fact holding the administration accountable, is in fact insisting on more transparency, is insisting on more honesty, and getting the facts,” Smith said. “Right now, because of the one party monopoly, the Administration has been able to dodge any kind of supervision, any kind of oversight committee action, and they refuse to testify, and that is no longer acceptable.”
Smith blames one-party control of the government as the reason why the Administration and Congress were able to ram so many unpopular policies through the system, such as health care reform and the various bailouts and stimulus bills.
“Right now, we’ve had one party control all aspects of our government, and the result of that is that the American people have only gotten one side of a lot of issues,” he said.
Smith says he plans to use the new subpoena power conservatives will have as a result of having achieved the majority in the House.
“There are going to be a number of investigations or oversight committee actions, trying to get to the facts,” he told WOAI.
In his sights will be a variety of issues, particularly those concerning national security.
“We need to have better national security and border security. We need to know who is coming across the border, why they are coming across illegally. We need to reduce the huge amount of drug smuggling and immigrant smuggling.”
Another priority will be “meaningful” tort reform.
“I think we are going to be able to reform and amend the health care bill,” he said. “We are not going to be able to repeal it, because the president would veto any repeal. But we can go back and make some changes and improvements. We need to reduce health care costs, and we need medical liability reform, and make sure we can stop the number of frivolous lawsuits.”
Democrats are reportedly nervous about the coming increased oversight and for good reason. The new head of the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) has also pledged to use his subpoena power to reform earmarks and investigate President Obama’s reliance on unconfirmed czars to run important functions of government.
“We’re going to try to fight the arrogance of government,” Darrell pledged the day after this week’s historic midterm election.
Lamar Smith plans to stay on the same page with his colleague and says he has every intention of using subpoena power when necessary to “‘call on Administration officials to get to the truth and get to the facts.”
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