North Dakota's Armstrong appointed to panel taking aim at 'weaponization' of government

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., has been appointed by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy to serve on the newly formed Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

"The federal government should work for the American people, not be weaponized against them,” Armstrong said in a written statement issued Wednesday, Jan. 25.

"We have serious questions concerning how unchecked growth of the federal bureaucracy and insufficient oversight have harmed our country. I am ready to get to work on this important subcommittee and deliver answers," Armstrong added.

In the statement released by Armstrong's office, McCarthy said the 118th Congress "marks a new beginning for this institution. Republicans’ governing agenda will be based on transparency, accountability, and solutions."

McCarthy, R-Calif., also said another subcommittee — the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic — will explore the origins of COVID-19 and the "federal government’s gain of function research that contributed to the pandemic."

The formation of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government was one of the concessions McCarthy made to his opposition to secure the job of House speaker, CNN reported.

Democrats have said Republicans could use the new subcommittee's broad powers to disrupt ongoing probes into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents, according to an online story published by ABC News.

"Jim Jordan and Kevin McCarthy claim to be investigating the weaponization of the federal government when, in fact, this new select committee is the weapon itself," U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, is quoted as saying in the ABC News report.

Armstrong has also been tapped to serve as vice chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Additionally, he will sit on the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security; the Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce; and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.