Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA), the the ranking member of the Government Reform Committee, has long maintained a list of "oversight priorities" that would presumably be implemented under a Democratic majority, according to a letter acquired by RAW STORY.

Waxman enumerated those priorities in correspondence with chairman Tom Davis (R-VA) in February 2005, but as the minority party, Democrats have been unable to advance the agenda.

Citing the uncertain outcome of the November elections, Karen Lightfoot, spokeswoman for the Democratic Government Reform Committee staff, would not comment on which of Waxman's initiatives would take precedence if the Democrats win the House, or on when they would likely appear on the committee agenda.

The letter, however, clearly enumerates Waxman's priorities.

Many of the items included were also listed as part of a fact sheet released by the minority staff of the Government Reform Committee in October 2004. That document notes that, among other omissions, Congress has "failed to investigate... the role of the White House in promoting misleading intelligence about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and ties to al-Qaeda." Both documents also list grievances relating to detainee abuse, the vice president's role in government contracting and influence over energy regulations, and the outing of CIA covert operative Valerie Plame.

None of these issues have been taken up by the committee under Republican control.

Waxman has served as ranking member on the Government Reform Committee since 1997, during which time it has conducted inquiries into President Bill Clinton's alleged use of his White House Christmas list for political purposes and, more recently, into the nefarious effect diploma mills have on the country. Though the committee has issued over 1000 Clinton-related subpoenas during Waxman's tenure, it has issued barely a dozen in its limited investigations relating to the Bush White House.

In "the last four years," Waxman says, "Congress has failed to conduct meaningful investigations of allegations of serious misconduct involving the Bush administration."

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