House Republicans are redirecting their attention away from Hunter Biden as they prepare to investigate Democratic Party presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, just two months ahead of the 2024 election.

The investigations focus on Harris's role in the immigration crisis and Walz's alleged connections to China and a COVID-19 fraud scheme as the pair attempts to defeat former President Donald Trump this November, as Just the News reports.

The decision to shift focus comes as Congress prepares to reconvene next week, with the House Judiciary Committee set to hold a hearing titled “The Biden-Harris Border Crisis: Victim Perspectives.” This hearing will scrutinize Harris's involvement in managing the southern border crisis, an issue she was tasked with addressing early in the Biden administration. The hearing is expected to be live-streamed on YouTube.

Harris has faced ongoing criticism for distancing herself from her assigned role as "border czar." Many Republican lawmakers have pointed to the vice president's perceived lack of action on the matter, arguing that the Biden administration's immigration policies have exacerbated the situation at the border.

Harris Faces Scrutiny Over Immigration

Harris's handling of immigration issues has been a consistent point of contention for Republicans. Shortly after President Biden took office, Harris was assigned to oversee efforts to manage the growing crisis at the southern U.S. border. However, she distanced herself from the role in subsequent years, which has drawn sharp criticism from the GOP.

The upcoming hearing by the House Judiciary Committee will be the latest attempt to investigate Harris's role in the administration’s immigration strategy. The hearing will feature testimony from those affected by what Republicans have described as a "border crisis." House Republicans hope to capitalize on Harris's vulnerability regarding immigration as they ramp up their criticism of the Biden administration.

Investigations Into Walz's Ties to China

At the same time, Walz has become the target of a separate investigation by the House Oversight Committee. Walz, who has visited China 30 times and once served as a fellow at a Chinese institution linked to the CCP, is facing scrutiny for his ties to Chinese organizations that have been flagged by U.S. government agencies.

In one instance, Walz spoke at an event alongside the president of a Chinese organization that the U.S. State Department identified as part of a CCP influence operation. Additionally, the governor is being questioned for his promotion of the Hormel Institute, a medical research center based in Minnesota, which has collaborated with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The FBI has cited the Wuhan lab as the probable origin of the COVID-19 virus.

The Hormel Institute came under fire in 2019 when its executive director, Dr. Zigang Dong, stepped down amid an FBI investigation into his failure to disclose foreign funding in his grant applications. Walz's connection to the institute has raised concerns among national security experts.

COVID-19 Fraud Investigation Adds Pressure

Walz's legal troubles have further escalated with a subpoena related to a COVID-19 fraud scheme based in Minnesota. The fraud, which involved a nonprofit organization known as Feeding Our Future, defrauded the federal government of $49 million by submitting fake names and invoices for children who were supposedly fed during the pandemic.

The organization has been found guilty of multiple charges, and this week, Ladan Mohamed Ali, a key figure in the scheme, pleaded guilty to bribery charges for attempting to influence a juror in the trial. While Walz has defended state employees who were involved in the distribution of funds, he acknowledged that more due diligence should have been conducted.

“There’s not a single state employee that was implicated in doing anything that was illegal,” Walz told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “They simply didn’t do as much due diligence as they should have.”

Growing Republican Criticism

Republican lawmakers have not held back in their criticism of both Harris and Walz. On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the House Oversight Committee posted a detailed statement about Walz's alleged ties to China, noting his frequent visits to the country and his involvement with CCP-linked organizations.

"Mr. Walz has visited China 30 times, served as a fellow at a Chinese institution that maintains a devotion to the CCP, and spoke alongside the President of a Chinese organization the State Department exposed as a CCP effort to influence and co-opt local leaders," the House Oversight Committee wrote.

Furthermore, Brian Cavanaugh, a former member of the National Security Council, expressed concerns about the Hormel Institute’s ties to China. “The Hormel Institute is helping a foreign adversary,” Cavanaugh said, referencing its connection to Beijing Genomics Institute, a military-backed Chinese company.

Democrats Defend Harris and Walz

Despite the investigations, the Harris-Walz campaign has remained steadfast in its defense. A spokesperson for Harris, Mia Ehrenberg, dismissed the GOP's investigations as politically motivated attacks meant to distract voters from real issues.

“Donald Trump and his extreme MAGA allies in the House are launching pathetic, false attacks on the Vice President and Governor Walz because they cannot win on their own records of taking away Americans’ freedoms and putting billionaires and corporations ahead of hard-working families,” Ehrenberg said in a statement to Punchbowl News.

The outcome of these investigations is uncertain, but with the 2024 election fast approaching, the heightened scrutiny on both Harris and Walz is likely to remain a central focus for Republicans in the coming months.