House Republicans will not support a resolution to create a select committee that would examine the federal response to the coronavirus outbreak.
“I had a conversation with the speaker today, and I told her this is very redundant,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters on Wednesday. “I don’t see a lot of members voting for it on our side.”
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The House will bring up the resolution Thursday in an emergency session, but it’s likely to garner broad Republican opposition.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, announced earlier this month that the special panel would oversee the distribution of billions of federal dollars dedicated to the response to the coronavirus outbreak in order to “prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.”
Pelosi said she would appoint the House majority whip, South Carolina Democrat James Clyburn, to oversee the panel.
“The committee will be empowered to examine all aspects of the federal response to coronavirus and to assure that the taxpayers’ dollars are being wisely and efficiently spent to save lives, deliver relief, and benefit our economy,” Pelosi told reporters.
But Republicans point out there are several well-funded oversight layers already in place to watch over the funding, including a special inspector general and a congressionally appointed oversight committee. The House is also equipped to perform oversight through the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and other oversight subcommittees.
In his conversation with Pelosi on Thursday, McCarthy said that the California Democrat “tried to commit to me” that she wanted the panel to be bipartisan.
“I told her I don’t view it that way,” McCarthy said. “I view [it] more as a political one.”
McCarthy said he won’t appoint members to the committee until he sees the list of Democratic appointees sees that Pelosi “is serious about making this a committee that works.”
