House oversight panel Democrats get more aggressive

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., officially assumed the gavel as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday, charting a path for tougher scrutiny of the Obama administration. But committee Democrats -- under new leadership -- are preparing to fight back.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the new ranking member of the committee, told MSNBC on Wednesday that his staff is bracing for an "avalanche of subpoenas … and all kinds of inquires." Cummings added, "We're going to address the issues as they come, demand fairness and if we see the witch hunts coming, we're going to do everything in our power to stop it, period."

One of the most vocal and high-profile critics of the administration's policies, Issa plans an aggressive schedule of hearings and investigations. He previously announced plans for the committee and its subcommittees to host at least seven hearings a week in an effort to "measure [the administration's] failures."

But, the congressman's office has yet to provide details. It's "too early to talk hearing specifics," Issa spokesman Kurt Bardella said on Wednesday.

Earlier this week the congressman announced that the initial lineup of investigations will include the origins of the financial meltdown; WikiLeaks; the effectiveness of Food and Drug Administration recalls; corruption in Afghanistan; the role of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the housing foreclosure crisis; and the "impact of government hyper-regulation on job creation."

In preparation for examining regulations, Issa's office on Dec. 13, 2010, sent about 150 letters to corporations, trade organizations and think tanks asking them to identify existing or proposed Obama administration rules that were harmful to business and hurt job growth.

Issa's office justified the letters as necessary fact-finding. But Cummings condemned them, suggesting they were "inviting businesses to tell us what they want us to do as opposed to protecting the American people."

In late December, Issa, a former car alarm business executive, also resent to administration and agency officials more than 75 letters that had gone unanswered during the past two years when he was the committee's ranking member. Officials might be more likely to respond to the requests now that Issa has the ability to subpoena documents and compel testimony before the committee.

In one of his first acts as oversight committee chairman, Issa on Wednesday reintroduced eight bills that stalled in the previous Congress, including a measure that would penalize intelligence officials who provide fictitious information or false documents to a member of Congress. Another bill would offer foreign parents of fallen U.S. service members visas to raise the soldiers' children.

Issa also announced the committee is releasing high-definition videos of committee hearings, dating back to the beginning of 2009, on YouTube. The videos are available at YouTube.com/HouseResourceOrg.

In addition, House Republicans are asking federal employees to come forward and blow the whistle on agency malfeasance. A page on the oversight panel's revamped website includes an option for whistleblowers to alert Republican staff to "fraud and abuse in your agency or other organization. Any personal information you provide us will be kept in strict confidence." Democrats on the committee did not host a whistleblower tip line on their site when they were in the majority.

Issa is reorganizing the panel's subcommittees. The new subcommittees to date are: Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio; National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations, headed by Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah; and TARP, Financial Services, and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs, led by Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina. More will be announced in the coming weeks. The Democrats have yet to announce ranking members.