The 100 and 18th Congress will convene in early January.

I talk to 2 members of Kentucky's federal delegation, James Comer, who is the ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee.

He was selected to chair the powerful panel when the GOP takes official control of the lower chamber.

>> And Morgan McGarvey a freshman and the only Democrat representing Kentucky ends in Washington.

That's now on connections.

♪ ♪ Thank you for joining us for connections today.

I'm Renee Shaw.

We begin our program with an interview with Kentucky's first Congressional District Representative James Comer.

The district spans from Western Kentuckyian extends to Franklin County in Central Kentucky.

He was first elected to serve in Washington in 2016.

He also served in the Kentucky state Legislature and as state AG commissioner.

I caught up with him a few days ago to discuss his ascension as chair of the powerful House oversight and Reform Committee.

>> Let's talk about you are already kind of getting going here and working and even before the holidays get underway, you have said that you have 40 to 50 investigations that you want to conduct.

And you've talked about what companies, Hunter Biden, the origins of COVID.

Is there any prioritization of those investigations?

What will we see hearings on first?

>> Well, when you say 40 to 50 people bug out, but in reality, I'm going to have about a staff of around 70.

We have a committee of around 25 Republicans.

So we have the bandwidth and infrastructure to be able to conduct several.

A full-scale investigations were doing a lot of roads.

We've been probing for the past 2 years.

I've been the top Republican on the committee.

We just unfortunately we're in the minority.

We've been putting together information to wear this day would finally happened January 3rd and I'll be able to hit the ground running.

So we're going to start doing more depositions and interviews now.

But between now and January 3rd, when the Republicans officially become the majority party, the priority, we're going to probably have our first hearing on what's going on at the southern border.

We're very concerned about a lot of the decision.

Secretary Mayorkas is made Kevin McCarthy when he went to the border couple weeks ago.

But myself and Jim Jordan in charge of investigating the secretary Mayorkas sport is a failure to secure the southern border.

I'm very concerned about all the money that's been wasted in the name of COVID over the past 3 years.

That would span 2 administrations.

So we're going to have a hearing early on with respect to that.

And then been very interested in the Biden family influence peddling.

That's been in the news a lot lately.

Obviously we're ready to come out of the gate on that.

And you know, many, many more.

You mentioned the woke companies, my personal opinion is if a company wants to be, well, that's their business.

But if a government agency and government policies are forcing them to be well and make what I consider very bad policy decisions that I have a problem that though we're going to be investigating a ride, a wide range of issues hope will be very effective in in terms of our investigative and legislative priorities.

>> So want to go back and revisit a couple of those that you mentioned.

One is about COVID where you said that there have been billions and trillions of dollars spent in the name of COVID over the past 3 years.

And of course, that spans 2 President Donald Trump and also the current President Joseph Biden.

So you're going to invest a gate, both administrations equally and with equal fervor.

>> We're going to investigate all the COVID The majority of the COVID money was spent in the Biden administration, but they were, you know, COVID a lot of COVID money it in the initial stages of COVID have a lot of concern to tell the PPP loan were I have a lot of problems with how the unemployment insurance, but and was a wasted with respect to cyber attack.

Now a lot of this and on the state level and Kentucky is one of the worst actors in this Kentucky.

It appears as a has had a lot of unemployment insurance fraud in both terms of being hacked as well you know, fraudulent claims.

So this is a big that we wasted, you know, hundreds of millions of dollars in the name of We also looking into a lot of the money that the National Institute for Health Pad.

We believe that that they essentially used a slush fund, the get scientists to go along with a lot of the bad decisions that doctor Fauci was making.

So, you know, this is something that Congress is supposed to do.

And unfortunately, today we haven't had any oversight.

You know, I don't know why the the Democrat majority on the House Oversight Committee wouldn't want to look into COVID.

But and because as I said to him, you know, pretty it predates the Biden administration.

So, you know, they're obsessed with Donald Trump, an investigative firm.

If I were going to investigate the that the Trump administration, it would.

It would certainly be some of that.

MS bit COVID But you look at the Biden administration and you can put zeros on the end of that.

So we've got to get them back to the taxpayers.

And that's what's going to be regardless of whether it was from Republican men Sheshan or Democrat, that church.

>> So I want to go to a point that you made about Kentucky because you mention your home state specifically and we we all recall the debacle around the and ensure the unemployment insurance and the denials and the system snags and and all of that and even the fraudulent claims.

So will there be possibly subpoenas administer to folks in the Beshear administration or the governor?

Andy Beshear himself to testify about in Washington.

>> Now, I'm not to that point yet.

We're just trying to get a handle on it.

Renee, this is so massive and the state of California alone, it will make people sick when they find out how much money was hacked from their unemployment insurance.

But that Kentucky's a much smaller stake in California, but pound for pound, you know, Kentucky had a lot of ways to do so.

Yeah, we've got to change our.

Computer systems on the state level.

It's been a problem on the federal level.

My committee has jurisdiction over the cybersecurity status of our data systems on the federal level and not good.

But compared to the state levels.

I mean, we've got state the better their computer systems or show obsolete.

They are a team capable protecting their their data from cyber attack.

So we've got adversaries around the globe that have very sophisticated systems.

2.

Cyber attack, our our governmental data systems.

And that's what happened with the unemployment Insurance Fund.

Then we had a lot of fraudulent, you know, domestic brought you live in and unemployment insurance bite.

The bottom line was the state just work?

Capable of handling the massive number of claims.

And then, you know, I can tell ya, just like the other 5 members of the Kentucky delegation.

We were bombarded with people calling our caseworkers saying we've been unemployed, our government, you know, our business was shut down.

I can't get anyone to answer the phone in Frankfort to help me file an unemployment insurance claims.

So, you know, this is something that I teachers received very criticism for in the press, but that it was sure a blackout, Kentucky.

A lot of work and family suffered, you know, wasn't their fault that they were gone.

Unemployment was a government fall so that the they were gone unemployment.

So I do want to get to the point, as you said, not yet.

When I ask you the question about would you try to hold someone or even the governor?

>> And the Beshear administration responsible for this is this investigation about accountability are rectifying antiquated computer systems.

What is the crux of the investigation?

What do you hope the outcome with me?

>> I don't think anyone did anything intentional with respect to fraud in Kentucky or probably in California.

We have computer systems on the state levels are outdated.

They are.

They don't have the capacity to protect their data from the sophisticated cyberattack that we're seeing from these foreign countries.

Many of them are in the former, you know, Soviet Union area of the of the glove.

So we've got to significantly change that.

I hope or all my investigations obviously want to hold people accountable.

We would love to claw back misspent funds.

But at the end of the day, I hope there's a legislative picked and we've got to find a way improve our data security systems on the state level.

So, you know, I'm not here to say that anyone did anything intentionally wrong.

there were a lot of mistakes in different states, California, Kentucky, that with respect to their unemployment insurance claims being spit fraudulently.

All right.

>> And so perhaps even a clawback of of those Kentucky dollars.

Is that what you would?

Recommended the secret?

The secret services had a little bit of success in clawing back.

Some >> it unemployment funds that fraudulently obtained.

The we've also had some success and some of the PPP loans that were fraudulently obtaining.

So this is something we want to work with.

The various agencies were not trying to point fingers at people for political reasons.

we want the taxpayers of America to know the federal and state government, the lock wasted a lot of your tax dollars in the name of COVID and unfortunately a lot of time S passed by because the Democrats in Congress failed to to conduct any meaningful oversight.

Whatever reason that day is going to change in January.

>> So also we know that Senator Rand Paul had he had the Senate Republicans become the majority.

He would have been in and out of position to investigate.

Doctor Anthony Fauci is crews say that you're going to take up in your role as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee.

>> Certainly, I'm concerned about all things COVID.

I want to know their origination of COVID.

I think I know where it is.

I think 99.9% of America has a pretty good idea of where COVID-19 originated from.

you know, we we need to try to find answers.

The American people deserve anchors.

Everyone had a family member, a friend, a loss from COVID and it doesn't thing that that this government has been serious about trying to determine the origination much less hold anyone accountable.

I'm very concerned to share with oversight committee about the hundreds of billions and trillions of dollars that the federal government wasted in the name of We need to get a handle on this.

We need to fix this to where this never happens again.

And certainly if there's a way to get some of this money back, we need to get it back.

But will Congress theres a lot of blame for this?

Congress didn't put guardrails a lot of the money they handed There are plenty of people to blame people in both parties to buying my job to try to get a report and try to put a price tag on how much exactly was wasted.

Now, I think doctor Fauci has that been dishonest in several of hearings before the Senate.

Remember now he has even been in front of the I'm meeting with all the committee chairs next week.

We have at least 7 committee chairs that want to have doctor Fauci and other House committees for a host of different reasons.

I'm going to be in charge of delegating out which committee is going to do what with respect to oversight.

So this is an ongoing conversation will have in our committee, but certainly the Oversight committee is going to be very interested in the misspent funds in the name of COVID.

>> So now let's talk about the Hunter Biden administration.

If the White House refuses to cooperate with your investigation, does it matter and will in fact stunt what you are trying to do?

>> I wish the Biden administration would cooperate with us but not have the tools to be able to continue meaningful investigation without the Biden administration.

I'll give you an example.

Remember, I have tried to get the bank by elections that the hunter Biden fan, Hunter Biden is.

Well, Jim have had on many account account that we know are also paying for basic living expenses of Joe Biden.

So these accounts used to be available to committees in Congress.

These these a suspicious activity report, Joe Biden want to his first acts in office.

Change the rules on that.

So now we haven't been able to access those accounts, even though we know Maxine Waters was act testing, suspicious activity account wish respecting people in the in the Trump family but now have subpoena power.

I've been communicating with the banks where these thank you all.

Asians were committed.

There are 13 banks that they were dealing with a 13 banks and we communicate with all 13 of them.

We requested information, obviously because of privacy laws.

They're not allowed to give us that information.

But in January, 3rd, an amazing thing happened.

I have subpoena power and I think the banks know that they're going to be getting a subpoena from me.

We're serious about the investigation and this isn't a fishing expedition like a lot of the investigations.

Adam Schiff, it.

>> Well, I know Congressman Comer, you've been asked about all the investigations that are on your docket to conduct.

Many people would say even if they are Republicans that the alleged misdeeds and wrongdoings of the previous administration deserve to have some more investigation.

Not just January Sixt but other allegations.

Why is that not on your list?

>> I never said it wasn't on my list.

Is it on your list?

You look at you look at what happened from a congressional investigative standpoint over the past 6 years or the past 4 years, the Democrat have investigated every possible thing you could investigate.

With respect to Donald Trump and what I doubt a few weeks ago at a press conference that we were going to investigate Joe Biden because of a lot of the evidence produced on the laptop that Hunter had.

Democrats were crying foul.

Why would they do in a congressional investigation?

I mean, what a waste of money.

That's a really that's all you all.

It does for the past 4 years.

Donald Trump's not president.

No, you're still investigating in 3 or 4 different ways and means as his taxes January 6 committee is investigating intelligence committees investigating Oversight Committee is investigating.

And, you know, we have an out one investigation, one committee and they want it.

Then they started they do you know, why would they investigated a relative of the president in the Hunter?

Biden wasn't in the administration of state or they get all the investigation.

They did on the president.

His family will then just 2 days ago, the Democrat turnout on the House Oversight Committee, my committee that they're going to launch an investigation into Jared Kushner.

Well, I thought, you know, I get a size May for a lot of the things that I think that would give them awards in a box or C. But at the end of the day, I would love to work with them and they find some wrongdoing in the previous administration that goes along with influence peddling that I would love to incorporate that in our town and ISIS.

We'll be looking at relatives of a lot of a high ranking government officials because this is an influence peddling investigation.

We have a problem or night and then this should be about partisan.

Issue here because if we don't do something about what is legal and is it legal with respect to influence peddling and respect to foreign business dealings, then it's going to continue to be a problem.

I think the Democrat that said it was a problem when Trump was president, especially with the, you know, some of the dealings that Jared Kushner headed in Saudi Arabia.

Obviously a huge problem with the president's brother Jim and his son Hunter, with the business dealings they had in China and Russia, even though I don't really know what their businesses the unemployed billing.

I do know what your mission or businesses are, but any right, whomever the next president is if we don't have the law crystal clear as to what relatives can do then every president, it's going to be in a potential compromise situation through a relative because China and Russia and Saudi Arabia, they're going to go in and they're going to offer those relatives.

A large sums of money for access for information and we need to make the law crystal clear.

So at the end of my investigation, I'm hopeful they'll be a legislative big has to define what is and is not legal with respect to foreign business dealings and at the very least if you're someone like Trump, it came into office with huge businesses that spanned the globe and you had a big percentage of your sales in the international area.

We need to increase the transparency laws to where the media and the public know exactly.

How much of your business is coming from this country and exactly what that revenue stream this poor.

I think that will solve a lot of problems.

Many Kentuckians and many Americans are saying, you know, my greatest worries are inflation.

>> My housing costs, my fuel costs.

And yet I hear this congressman from Kentucky talk about investigations that have no relevancy to my livelihood.

What would you say to those who have that criticism?

>> Well, I disagree.

Number one, they have inflation because the administration spent too much money.

They spent too much money in the name of COVID when the government prints money like it did under COVID, then the unintended consequence of that is inflation.

So the best way to reduce inflation, it's the stop the wasteful spending.

We have to reduce government spending.

So I think I'm playing a leading role in and doing their part to reduce inflation also, we're going to be doing a lot of other things.

You know what I'm doing leading the investigation on the southern border.

We've got to get a big to that.

The border that's creating a crisis in all 120 counties in Kentucky.

Everyone knows someone that's not a but not within the last 12 months.

That was just walking across the border that walking across the border in backpack them illegals every day.

It ended up on the interstate that been up in every county in Kentucky.

That has to stop.

So I'm playing a leading role in reducing inflation in securing the border, which you, sir, you know, lower prime rate in Kentucky.

>> On January 3rd, when the 100 an 18th Congress can veins, will Kevin McCarthy have enough votes to become speaker and are you going to vote for him?

>> I'm voting for him all by of the Republican from Kentucky are voting for him.

Even Massey who hasn't voted for him before in the has stated publicly that he's going to vote for Kevin McCarty.

I don't know or night.

I hope he has the boat.

I hope that we can get started.

You know, Andy Biggs is announced he's running against the main drd ran in You know, prior to this in our Copper, Andy Biggs is a friend of mine.

He's on the House Oversight Committee from Arizona.

But Kevin McCarthy got 85% of the vote.

Traditionally wants with all the Republicans or Democrats, there is agreed to support the winner on the floor in January.

But unfortunately, where we're having a little trouble getting there.

I hope that we can get there because I think every every hour we delay is is an hour that could have been put to better use for the American taxpayer >> was.

>> Next we hear from one of the new kids on the block in Washington, Morgan McGarvey, who is succeeding.

John Yarmouth, who retired the seat after serving 8 terms.

Congressman-elect Mcgarvy who has served in the minority party in the Kentucky state legislature in the Senate talks to us about the new younger leadership in the Democratic caucus in the U.S. House.

What he wants to accomplish and the strategy he'll use to make an impact as a newcomer.

So let's talk about a couple issues and just a quick few moments here, gun violence and and you had been a sponsor what was called the car.

But on the crisis, aversion and rights retention measure, which is kind red flag laws.

So did of the issues of the day.

>> Right now in gun violence is always kind of the forefront of our mind of incidents that KET happening over and over again.

What is it that you say, OK?

I want to stake my claim on this.

I'm going to find somebody across the aisle and see if we can get something, Don, whether it's gun violence or maybe it's abortion.

What what do you want to accomplish?

>> Well, we yes to all.

Haha all the because yes, specifically about gun violence.

Let's start there that this is an area where I have some frustration, particularly as an outsider to the federal government right now, 90% of Americans agree that you should have to have a background check of purchasing a firearm.

Let's get that done.

I mean, it really isn't much of an imposition at all, if any, with the technology we have and think about if it saves one life.

Let's look at the crisis version rights or 10 short.

I think this is really, really good piece of legislation that was crafted with input, not just from Democrats and Republicans, but from urban and rural legislators here.

And the reality is that over 60% of the gun deaths in this state in this country, our death by suicide.

Having that cooling off period, it can really save lives.

I think we can find rules.

Legislators who are dealing with this people in the veterans community who are dealing with this issue who want to make a difference.

I refuse to accept the notion that there is nothing we can do on this when we are doing nothing right.

And you mentioned cooling off period.

I wanted us to define that a little bit more.

So it's still it's not taking away people's guns.

Just having to wait a little bit longer.

I just, you know, and if someone is truly a crisis like in the crisis, aversion rights or tension order.

>> The only it's not a person, the only type of people who can actually serve a crisis, a version much potential order.

Our law enforcement.

They have to law enforcement has to investigate that.

Find probable cause that someone is immediate threat or danger to themselves or and then get a judge to sign off on it.

You know, this is really making sure that we're protecting people's rights while also protecting people and our I think that we can make some progress on it.

And I do think that the abortion debate is going to be important.

Federal government when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and they enacted the Dobbs decision.

There are states like Kentucky.

We're still right now.

A woman cannot permit her pregnancy at any time for any reason.

Other than immediate threat to her help.

We need to codified Roe v Wade into law.

I don't think that people want these extreme measures throughout the country.

And I think the federal government needs to act.

Andy, what do you think of the possibilities?

And that happened?

The likelihood of that happening?

That is one that with divided government I think is really unlikely.

>> Right now, I think that.

That becomes kind of a bright line issue, which is unfortunate but I think there's pressure and I think, you know, you saw across the country voter speak out on this issue and they they voted with their feet.

But even in Kentucky.

A state that I think many have said is a solidly red or a prolife State Amendment.

2 was defeated here this year.

And so I don't give up on anything.

That's how I that's now been a Democrat in Frankfort, the West to I I have to believe that lawmakers throughout the country listened heard and saw the same things I did on election night.

Yeah.

>> January 3rd is when you're officially sworn in.

It is what kind of day have they tried to prepare you for for that?

The only 2 words used to describe that are organized chaos.

Hahah.

And I mean, it really is.

It's an interesting thing because I just mentioned bright line.

There's a bright line transition in government.

And as I understand it, you know, if the president wanted Congress to call a war at 09:00AM on January.

3rd, John Yarmouth would take that.

>> Well, so there really is that right now, January second, John Yarmouth is the congressman just try and wrestle district.

And if something needs to happen, I should clarify.

There's no prediction of that happening.

Are we trying to use like has has to act right then he is the member of Congress for this district.

We do not get the keys to our office, which we selected 8, that a we'll get those keys until that morning of January.

3rd.

Wow.

So we're going to pack up the or taking the kids up there.

One of the cool things they do is the only people who can be on the floor when you get sworn in.

Our members of Congress are kids under 12 and so good to have the kids with me.

Isn't that awesome?

Which is going to be really, really cool.

Yeah.

My wife can't be with us for it was in the 2.

Thousands are loud aloud, but the kids are under 12.

Do they even give an age limit?

Yeah.

So If they can KET it together, they'll be on the floor.

Haha >> how long or they're right, right?

Yeah.

Let's hope they move through that process.

I mean, for all the kids say, right?

Yeah, it's cool.

You know, like you mentioned the change in leadership.

I've noticed a change just in our class mean we spent a lot of time, particularly with some my Democratic colleagues and some of the sessions.

>> It's a young classes.

A lot of young families.

I think that brings a new exciting energy as well.

>> And maybe a new way of doing business, right?

Maybe maybe more efficient.

And yeah, I hope so.

Well, Congressman elect the next time I talk to all be able to say, Congressman, congratulations and thank you for making the truck to Lexington when you've got so much to do.

We wish you so much success.

We know that will happen.

Thank you, Sir.

Thank you.

My pleasure.

Thank you for joining us for connections today will KET in the loop on what Kentucky's federal delegation is doing in Washington on our Week.

9 Public Affairs program, Kentucky edition.

That's at 6.30, Eastern.

>> 5.30, central right here on KET.

And you can follow us on social media and listen and watch previous episodes of Connections and other K E T programs online on-demand at KET Dot Org.

Thank you again for watching.

Take really good care and how see you soon.

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