House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered Tuesday that the entire administration of President Joe Biden preserve all documents and communications as the Democrat administration prepares to leave office.
Johnson sent letters to 18 federal departments ordering them to preserve and retain documents. It could be explosive if the outgoing Biden Administration officials try to destroy or delete documents that reveal some of their radical policies or scandals involving censorship, or other major stories of the last four years. Anyone caught destroying records could face serious criminal penalties. And with the incoming Trump administration taking over in January 2025, they will not be able to find any evidence.
The fact that Johnson has taken this step is a sign Republicans will be better prepared for the transition to the Trump administration. They were not as well-prepared when Trump was elected to his first term in 2016. It also shows they are serious about rooting out the corruption within the federal government, especially when Trump begins to form his Cabinet and Republicans prepare to take over the Senate next year.
Johnson, in a letter sent to Julie Su, Acting Labor Secretary, states that Congress intends to seek out such documents and evidence during the transition and even after.
Johnson wrote: “As we prepare for a Trump Administration and a new Congress, we expect your full cooperation to ensure a smooth transfer of power.” It is important that you adhere to all record retention laws, including the Federal Records Act, during the transition. We are explicitly directing, in addition to complying with federal record-keeping laws, that all necessary measures be taken to preserve Department documents and communications.”
A senior Johnson aide has sent 18 versions of the letter to all the major cabinet secretaries in the Biden Administration. This letter was signed by many other House Republicans including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and others.
Johnson focuses on specific issues in the following paragraph. As examples, he cites the border, Afghanistan, and government censorship. He also highlights weaponization by the government against conservatives and antisemitism.
Johnson wrote: “During the 118th Congress House Committees conducted rigorous oversight regarding the Biden-Harris Administration’s disastrous border policy, tragic Afghanistan withdraw, collusion with Social Media companies to suppress freedom of speech, weaponization by federal agencies against political opponents and antisemitism in our nation’s colleges enabled by leading Democrats.”
Johnson noted that, during the current Congress, the Biden Administration refused to comply with many subpoenas that were lawfully issued. He also stated that when the Republican Party regained the White House and the majority of the U.S. Senate and held on to their House majority for the remainder of the Congress as well as the resting majority in the U.S. Senate in addition to holding the majority in the House in the future Congress will enforce these subpoenas that have been blown off so far
Johnson wrote: “In the final days of this Congress House Committees will seek compliance with the many subpoenas that you have largely refused to comply with.” As the 119th Congress gets underway, it may be necessary for the Committees to reissue subpoenas in order to continue their oversight efforts.
