GOVERNMENT LESSON: What's the function of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (OGR)? What has it done and not done?

 In today's blog, you'll learn the purpose of one of the Congressional Committees and how it works, how it has worked, and why it's not working now. You'll learn why having this Committee non-functioning, as it has been for the last 2 years, is a dangerous thing.

GOVERNMENT LESSON: What's the function of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (OGR)? What has it done and not done?

Unlike all of the other congressional committees, the OGR exists to serve as the watchdog of the federal government. OGR’s mandate is to investigate, not legislate. The chairman wields a tremendous amount of power, with unlimited jurisdiction and the unilateral authority to issue subpoenas and compel testimony for public Congressional hearings.

Who Manages it? The party in power. Which has been the Republican party for the last 6 years.

WHAT HAPPENED UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINSTRATION >?

Former Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), issued more than 100 subpoenas to the Obama administration. To date, Republican chairman Trey Gowdy has issued a grand total of zero subpoenas to the Trump administration. The OGR Republicans have refused to hold the Trump administration to the same standard of oversight we established during the Obama presidency

WHAT HAS THE COMMITTEE DONE THIS YEAR ?

To date, the committee’s Republicans have blocked 52 attempts by Democrats to force votes on subpoena motions. Without the power of the majority, Democrats have been relegated to spectator status as the Republican majority abdicates its oversight responsibilities to protect Trump.

OBSTRUCTION - SO, Republicans have no interest in overseeing the Trump Presidency, which is why the administration gets away with everything. This leads to a dictatorship instead of a democracy with checks and balances. For the Trump presidency, there are no checks and balances.