A brief history of congressional oversight, from Revolutionary War financing to Pam Bondi

A Brief History of Congressional Oversight, From Revolutionary War Financing to Pam Bondi

Republished with permission from The Conversation, by Gibbs Knotts, Coastal Carolina University and Drew Kurlowski, Coastal Carolina University Routine congressional oversight hearings usually don’t make headlines. Historically, these often low-key events have been the sorts of things you catch only on C-SPAN—procedural, polite and largely ignored outside the Beltway. But their tone has shifted dramatically during the second Trump administratio…

A brief history of congressional oversight, from Revolutionary War financing to Pam Bondi

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota speaks at an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Oct. 7, 2025. AP Photo/Allison RobbertRoutine congressional oversight hearings usually don’t make headlines. Historically, these often low-key events have been the sorts of things you catch only on C-SPAN – procedural, polite and largely ignored outside the Beltway. But their tone has shifted dramatically during the second Trump administr…

A brief history of congressional oversight, from Revolutionary War financing to Pam Bondi

by Gibbs Knotts, Coastal Carolina University and Drew Kurlowski, Coastal Carolina University, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Routine congressional oversight hearings usually don’t make headlines. Historically, these often low-key events have been the sorts of things you catch only on C-SPAN – procedural, polite and largely ignored outside the Beltway. But their tone has shifted dramatically during …